Zootopia: Partners
by VariableMammal
Summary: Tales of the tails of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde and their growing relationship with each other. Starting just as Zootopia ends, it chronicles numerous adventures and situations the unlikely duo engage together.
1. Prelude to Partners

-Zootopia Mercy General Hospital-

"Nick!" Judy Hopps smiled as the smirking red fox entered her hospital room. He began to blink in amazement as he caught sight of what was in the room. Dozens of flower arrangements were placed on nearly every free space in the room, as well as numerous balloons and even stuffed rabbits. "I'm glad to see you!"

"Likewise," Nick Wilde replied, his hands behind his back. He gazed in awe at all of the gifts in the room. "So, you've only been here a day and you already have most of the hospital gift shop up here, I see." Judy gave a short giggle.

"Well, some are from my parents and a few dozen of my brothers and sisters, and the rest are from the ZPD."

Nick nodded, then noticed the gray rabbit was hooked up to a machine monitoring her vitals. "They're sure going to a lot of trouble for a leg injury."

"I know," Judy drew out the word, rolling her eyes, "but Chief Bogo said if I didn't return in tip-top shape he didn't want me back. Better safe than sorry, right?"

"So," Nick smirked, looking at her heart rate, "are you afraid of me after all, or do rabbits just have that high of a pulse?"

"Or, I could just be excited to see you!" Judy smiled. Her ears were bolt upright, a sure sign she was in a good mood. She tilted her head a little bit, her ears bobbing. "So... what's behind your back? You'll have to show me sooner or later." Nick stared at the ceiling for a moment before revealing to her a small arrangement of purple flowers.

"Aw, Nick!" Judy's smile brightened.

"Well, I'd feel better about it if it didn't seem like I was the very last person in Zootopia to come see you," Nick carefully placed the flowers on one of the few remaining open spaces left in the room. "It looks like the Rainforest District in here."

"Cosmos bipinnatus?" Judy asked, looking at the flowers.

"Bless you," Nick quipped. "They reminded me of your eyes."

"You know, there's no way I'm going to be able to fit all of these flowers in my dinky little apartment," Judy said. "I was thinking about taking some of the arrangements down to the children's ward once I get out of this place in a day or two. But I do know one arrangement I'll be keeping." Nick shifted a little. Judy's expression was radiant.

"They got you on some good painkillers, Carrots? You're in quite a good mood."

"Nick," Judy laughed. "I haven't been on anything for a few hours. It was a bad gash but not _that_ bad." Nick picked up the remote to the hospital room's TV and turned it to the news. The ZNN news reports were still talking about the arrest of former mayor Bellwether and the discovery of the Night Howler serum that had been used to infect the predators. Nick held his gaze on the report until a piece on Judy Hopps showed up, describing her and Nick's apprehension of the twisted sheep and portraying her as a hero cop.

"There she is," Nick smirked. "Must be neat seeing yourself on TV."

"None of the reports mention you," Judy's ears looked like they might droop, her eyes were apologetic.

"Well, am I a cop?" Nick said, "No, no I am not."

"Neither was I, at the time," Judy shrugged, "Bogo spun a yarn about how I had 'pretended' to resign to lull Bellwether into a false sense of security, and went 'undercover' to expose her."

"He'll tell the district attorney what they need to hear to make a good case," Nick didn't look offended in the least, "Can't exactly make a good case out of vigilante justice. A savvy hero cop makes a much better story. It's probably for the best that a few of the details get fudged, given what happened to that tr-"

"Yes, yes! You're absolutely right!" Judy interrupted, "so good!"

Nick chuckled at Judy's sudden panic, then he began gazing out the hospital window. "Any idea what will happen now?"

"I've been bothering every doctor that will listen to me about the Night Howlers," Judy began. "They told me they will tell me what they find out. It looks like they will be able to fashion an antidote, thankfully." Nick nodded, still looking at the window. "I couldn't have done this without you, Nick..."

"Oh, you could have," Nick still didn't turn to look at her. "Might have taken you a little longer, but I'm pretty sure you would have wrapped it up."

There was a short silence as Judy reflected on all the danger the two had been through.

"Maybe," Judy's voice was a bit quieter, "But I might not still be alive." Nick's eyes went a bit wider as their adventures washed over him briefly as well. He didn't turn to show the concern on his face, but his ears flattened a bit reflexively. There was another awkward moment. Nick then finally turned, his expression even.

"So!" Nick said tersely. "I'm assuming you still have that application you gave me to fill out?" Judy blinked at the change of subject.

"Yeah...?"

"Maybe you should get rid of it," Nick said evenly. Judy's ears finally drooped. Nick smirked a bit. "And by that I mean you should turn it in to the ZPD."

"Nick?" Judy's ears shot back up. Nick's eyes widened as he noticed Judy's BPM shoot up.

"Oh, so now you're excited."

Judy couldn't help from beaming.

"I will turn it in as soon as I get out of here!" Judy nearly shouted, looking like she was going to bounce out of the bed. "First thing, you have my word!"

Nick walked over to the vitals machine and smirked. "I don't need to buzz for a nurse, do I?"

"Nick, I meant what I said," Judy smiled, "It would be great to have you as a partner. But the police academy's not going to be easy."

"Ha," Nick scoffed, "If a bunny can do it, I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Oh how I will enjoy hearing you eat those words," Judy's eyelids narrowed and she grew a wicked smile.

"I'll pass with flying colors," Nick went on, "Then, when we're partners, I'll try to keep you from getting killed. How many times did we nearly die in the past few days, again?"

"Um," Judy sheepishly grinned, "More than a couple...?"

"Exactly. We need to reel you in a little," Nick made a fishing gesture. Judy ground her teeth a bit in annoyance, but she was still smiling, as there was little more she wanted than to share her dream with Nick. Nick gave a little stretch.

"Anyhow," he said lazily, "I better let you alone before you have a heart attack." He turned to leave and put his hands into his pockets. They felt strangely light. He looked back at Judy, who was typing into his phone. "Carrots? Did you steal my phone? You sly bunny."

"Dumb fox," Judy said in mock irritation, "how are you supposed to keep in touch with me if you don't have my number?" She pressed a button and her own phone began to ring. She picked it up and saved Nick's contact information. "There. Now be sure to call to tell me how you're absolutely destroying those tests at the academy, okay? Or, you know, more likely, whining about how hard they are."

"We'll see about that," Nick smirked, plucking his phone from Judy's hands. As he checked the phone, he felt a faint glow inside his chest as he saw Judy had listed herself in his phone as 'Dumb Bunny'. "See you soon, Carrots."

"Bye!"

Nick walked out, and Judy folded her arms behind her head and relaxed back into her pillow. They had both been lucky, she thought. But she couldn't rely on that. Both she and Nick would have to work hard to be upstanding members of the ZPD. Nick did have a point as well; Judy's recklessness had nearly gotten them both killed more than once. Judy sighed, her mind buzzing with feelings of worry, hope, and eagerness. They'd done Zootopia a service, but it wasn't over yet. Zootopia could still be made a better place.

She couldn't wait to get back out there and keep trying.


	2. Tranquil Partners

-Judy's Pangolin Arms Apartment, 8:45 PM-

Judy Hopps felt herself start to relax in her bed. Her neighbors finally hit a resolution in their argument and the gray bunny felt sleep just about to claim her.

 _Vvt, vvt._

One of Judy's ears twitched. That was the familiar buzzing sound of her phone. Someone had texted her. Judy quickly felt her curiosity rise, though her body didn't move. Who was texting her? Was it Nick? What did they want? Judy's previously serene thoughts were now spiraling, threatening to fully awaken her. No, she thought firmly. It can wait until morning.

Just one minute later, Judy squinted her eyes at the bright light of her phone as she checked it for her message.

"Clawhauser?" She asked herself in disbelief.

[Judy, did you see this? T.T] Read Clawhauser's text, and it had a link to a video. Judy touched the link. It was a short clip of a Gazelle concert, taken by a phone. Judy grinned; she loved Gazelle's music. Shortly, however, Gazelle flinched, and started to slump. She sank to her knees, and then collapsed. Gasping and shrieking started to break out before the video ended. Judy added her own, sharp gasp.

[What happened!? Is she okay?] Judy texted back to Clawhauser. She tapped her fingers on her phone's sides while waiting for the response; it came quickly.

[Not sure what happened exactly. They're saying she was tranquilized. She's okay, though. ~_~] Clawhauser texted back.

[Oof, thank goodness for that.]

[I'm worried about her... if it's not a medical, maybe even more so! Someone could be AFTER her!]

[Just try to relax. It was probably some sort of cruel prank.]

[Okay... see you in the morning.]

Judy set her phone down and got back into bed. Despite telling Clawhauser to relax, she didn't know if she could. Who would do this to Gazelle?

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 8:00 AM-

It had been two weeks since that incident. Chief Bogo looked grim and perhaps even extra angry as he stormed into the briefing room. The usual hooting at his presence was cut short. Judy shot Nick Wilde a look in their shared chair, but the fox didn't return it. He was staring at Bogo, his mouth in a line.

"We have a matter that needs to be addressed," Chief Bogo said lowly. He then held up a small signed poster of Gazelle. "Gazelle!" Everyone in the briefing room flinched. There were a few gasps. "We have reason to believe Gazelle is being targeted. She was tranquilized, for a second time now, at a peace rally." The number of gasps was fewer, but still included Judy's. "I am making this a high priority. I'm assigning any free officers to her speeches, rallies, concerts, or any other events she may perform. I would especially like..." he pointed at Judy and Nick, "YOU two to assist. You are the smallest officers in this district. You will be able to blend in wearing civilian clothes and not arouse suspicion." Judy's eyes went a bit wide at this assignment. In some ways, she felt a bit excited or even honored to be asked to protect Gazelle.

"With all due respect, sir," Nick started, "she's um, just a pop star, right?"

Chief Bogo narrowed his eyes. "JUST a pop star, mister Wilde? May I _remind_ you that Gazelle is Zootopia's shining beacon of acceptance, tolerance, and hope? For instance! Do you not remember the lyrics to her inspirational, uplifting, and bias-defying hit single 'Pred or Prey'? Hang on, I think I have it on my phone here." Chief Bogo took out his phone, and then his eyes widened as he noted that everyone in the room was staring dumbfounded at him, including Judy. Francine scratched her head with her trunk. "Er- ANYWAY. Assignments..." He put his phone back away and took out his glasses.

Judy and Nick had gotten traffic rounds. It had only been a month or so since Judy and Nick were paired together as partners, so neither of them minded at all. Judy skipped once as they headed down to the lobby of the Zootopia Police Department. Her cruiser was still a fresh, exciting vehicle for her to drive.

"So, looks like we'll be having to attend all of Gazelle's events from now on till this little matter is resolved," Nick began in a low, teasing voice. "Boy, that must be torture for you."

Judy turned and gave a slightly reproving glance to Nick. "Nick, this isn't a laughing matter."

"I mean, no, you're right, it's not," Nick shook his head. "But... what if they just really hate her music?"

"I don't think it's that," Judy frowned. "I think they hate her _message_. She's been targeted both at a concert and at a peace rally now. When she's knocked out, she can't deliver her words of encouragement, whether through her songs or her speeches, or her very presence and what she stands for."

"Rgh, that _is_ bad..." Nick nodded.

"And if it keeps going on," Judy continued with worry, "who _knows_ what will happen? She might become afraid to do her concerts or rallies in the first place. And what message does _that_ send?"

"That fear works," Nick's teeth were showing. "Okay, I get it now. I'm totally on board with this now, one hundred percent."

The fox and bunny blinked in surprise as they saw Clawhauser sobbing and following Chief Bojo around the lobby.

"Please Chief Bogo! Please!" Clawhauser cried out. "I'll do anything! _Please_ put me on the security detail for Gazelle! It's all I ever wanted!"

"Maybe not as one hundred percent as ol' Benji," Nick's eyes narrowed in amusement.

"No, Clawhauser, I need you here," Chief Bogo said patiently and calmly, trying to move away from the panicked, rotund cheetah.

"Pleaaase!?" Clawhauser's tone was piercing. Bogo didn't react, but even Judy and Nick had to flinch, and they were across the room. "What do you want from me? I'll give up donuts! For a week? A month? A YEAR? Do you want my Gazelle snowglobe?! IT'S LIMITED EDITION...!"

"Clawhauser," Bogo shook his head firmly. "We have enough people on the detail. You remain here." Clawhauser wailed in despair.

"I don't know if I've seen the Chief that patient with anyone," Judy folded her arms, impressed. "You think he's saying no because Clawhauser is a little, uh...?"

"Conspicuous?" Nick offered quietly, tilting his head towards Judy with his hands behind his back.

"In more ways than one," Judy fought an encroaching smile.

"Guess poor old Ben can't be a slave for two masters," Nick allowed himself a smirk. "He's gotta choose either donuts or Gazelle."

* * *

-Franklin Moobody Auditorium, 2:55 PM-

A week later, Gazelle had been scheduled to give a speech about prey and predator tolerance at a university's auditorium. Nick and Judy arrived in sharp civilian clothes, and both wore jackets to conceal their stun guns. Nick chose a seat on the left-hand side of the auditorium and only a few chairs in. He gave a subtle glance around and had a pretty good view of a lot of the place. Judy sat down right next to him. Nick cleared his throat.

"What?" Judy asked in a quiet voice.

"Are you sure you want to sit next to me, Carrots?" Nick replied in a low voice.

"Uh, yeah?" Judy said out of the side of her mouth. "You're my _partner_."

"We're already getting a few wary glances," Nick continued. "We're supposed to be avoiding suspicion. They think we're together...!"

"Wow, at a speech for tolerance, no less," Judy shook her head slightly, her voice flat.

"If you move, we'd have a better angle on this whole place, in case the shooter is here," Nick offered.

"If something goes down, I'd _like_ to be next to my partner, _dear_ ," Judy hissed out of the side of her mouth, her shoulders starting to scrunch.

"I just thought it would be nice if we were a _little_ less obvious about all this, _sweetheart_ ," Nick grumbled.

"I am NOT moving," Judy said defiantly.

"Okay, fine," Nick conceded. "And stop talking out of the side of your mouth. It's suspicious." Judys mouth pursed and twisted as her brow furrowed. The speech began. Nick and Judy tried to alternate surreptitious glances around the auditorium to see anything unusual, but both of them started to become engaged in Gazelle's speech before long.

"So, if you are a prey, please don't think of predators as frightening," Gazelle's speech continued, her lovely voice kind but firm. "I know from personal experience how kind and gentle predators can be. Look past their sharp teeth and toned structure and see them for who they really are. And on the other hand, predators. Don't look at the weakness of prey's small or thin forms. They often hide such strength, if not of body, of will and spirit. In fact, I think a union between a predator and a prey could be-"

 _Thwip._

Gazelle flinched as a dart stuck into her neck. Her eyes went wide and she was stunned, then she started to look apologetic and sorrowful as she sank down to her knees, waiting for the inevitable unconsciousness that was to follow. Nick gave an involuntary burst of a growl and Judy's ear twitched toward the sound.

"Nick!" Judy sprang out of her seat and pointed at the doors to the auditorium swinging open. Nick launched up and followed Judy. Judy angrily kicked through the doors and saw an indistinct shape round a corner. "There!" Nick and Judy both dashed after it, but when they rounded the corner they saw no movement. "Uh... uh! The bathrooms, maybe?"

"You check them out, Judy," Nick said hastily, "I may be able to get a clue from the auditorium. I have to be quick, before the panicking in the auditorium gets too bad!"

"Uh, okay! Go!" Judy nodded, and grit her teeth in apprehension as she prepared her badge to enter the male restroom. "ZPD...!"

Nick headed back into the auditorium. Gazelle's eyes fluttered and she finally lost consciousness. Murmuring was starting to erupt, but everyone remained in their seats. "Good." Nick flashed his badge. "ZPD! Everyone, REMAIN in your seats until further notice!" Nick started to sniff around. He started at the back row, smelling for scents that belonged to animals that were no longer in the auditorium. His hunch about the back row was correct, and he started to pick up a scent almost immediately.

Judy burst back into the auditorium, her face a mix of disappointed and angry. She saw Nick investigating, and ran up to Gazelle to check her. Judy sighed in relief as she felt a pulse and saw her breathing. "She's okay, everyone, no one panic!" She touched her own ear, where a transparent ear bud lay hidden. "Officer Hopps, requesting a bus for Gazelle. She has been tranqed." She took out a baggie and placed the dart inside carefully, placing her coat around her paw so she wouldn't touch it directly. She looked at Nick, who's face was narrowed dangerously as he was sniffing. Judy headed over to him.

"Everything okay, Nick?" Judy asked. He shook his head. There was absolutely nothing Judy could see where he was sniffing.

"Almost got it, I _know_ this smell..." Nick's voice was anxious as he took another deep sniff. "Ugh, doesn't smell too pleasant. It's... a sheep. No! A ram! I've smelled this smell before!"

Judy's mouth hung open as her brow furrowed angrily. "Doug!?"

Nick nodded, sneering. "It's Doug!"

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 8:00 AM-

The next day, there was already murmuring and gossiping going around the bullpen as Chief Bogo stomped in. He looked even less pleased than usual, his face wore an outright toothy sneer.

"The Gazelle case just became infinitely more critical," Bogo said lowly, "as our primary suspect is Doug Ramses." Bogo pointed to several info-graphics that Officer Higgins had set up beforehand. More mumbling broke out. "SHUT UP!" The murmuring halted. "You may remember Doug as the ram that assisted Dawn Bellwether in her plot to overthrow Zootopia. Doug is a _very_ accomplished sniper and a chemist." Bogo put on his glasses. "Darts recovered from both crimes do not match any ones available from ZPD stock or other sources; they appear to be homemade. You all will remember this face, and arrest him if you encounter him in your assignments."

"Uh, chief, I don't want to sound speciesist, but..." Officer Wolford started, and flinched once he caught Chief Bogo's intense stare, "he... just looks like any other ram to me. I couldn't make him out from anything; they all kinda look the same to me."

Bogo looked like he would yell, but he just grumbled. "We will not be bringing in _every_ ram, but if there are any who are acting suspicious you will detain them. Now." Bogo pointed to another info-graphic. "Gazelle is going to be performing her largest concert of the year in Sahara Square's Animalia Stadium in one week. Every one of my officers not on assignment will be on protective detail there. As the time draws near you will receive further details. Consider Doug dangerous. We do not know the full extent of his armaments, nor do we know if he will be escalating his aggression. Now, assignments!"

Judy visited Nick's cubicle after they received their assignments. They just had case file busywork to do that morning, and it made Judy anxious.

"Hey, Carrots," Nick acknowledged her.

"Hey," Judy waved, her voice a bit distant.

"So, I'm glad at least that Gazelle isn't backing down on her big concert," said Nick, sighing, "but if I were Doug I think I wouldn't pass up this chance for anything. To ruin a night at one of the biggest venues in Zootopia."

"Why, though? _Why_?" Judy held her paw out and vibrated it a bit. "What does he gain? He can't be getting paid from Bellwether any more, can he?"

"Maybe it wasn't just about money," Nick shook his head, "maybe it was about ideals. Doug might hate Gazelle's messages."

"What does he _get_ from it, though?" Judy sighed. "That's what bugs me. Why go to all this trouble to make your own darts and everything?"

"In a way, it's about power," Nick mused. "Every time Gazelle goes down, her psyche has to be damaged a little. I'd be stressed if that was me, I know that much. In some ways it's even worse than if he were just to-"

"Don't," Judy started chewing on a finger, "don't say that. We don't know exactly what Doug's capable of."

"It also sends a message to Bellwether," Nick sneered. "'I'm still loyal to you.' He could be trying to tell her he'll be there for her when she gets out of jail."

"Heaven forbid," Judy grimaced. "We have to take Doug down if he shows up at Animalia."

"Not if, when," Nick shook his head. "I know he'll be there. And we'll be ready."

* * *

-Animalia Exterior, 6:30 PM-

 _Click!_

Nick snapped his sunglasses open, withdrawing them from his coat pocket and slipping them on as he and Judy walked towards the esoteric but eye-catching blue facade of Animalia.

"Uh, no," Judy smirked wryly. "You are not wearing sunglasses at night, Nicholas."

"And why not?" Nick grinned. "You know they look good on me."

"That may be true," Judy snapped the sunglasses from off his muzzle, "but they are the opposite of inconspicuous."

"So, conspicuous?" Nick quipped as the two headed through security. Both of them flashed their badges and showed the stun guns in their coat pockets, and they were nodded through.

"Every bag, purse, and suspicious pocket is getting checked tonight," Judy said seriously. "Hopefully Doug doesn't even get in."

"I wouldn't count on that," Nick said. "You know how fluffy rams are. I bet you he could hide his weapons in pieces on his person and reassemble them here."

"Okay, let's just go through this one more time," Judy said, wringing her hands.

"Right, so, they did not sell any mezzanine seats tonight," Nick explained. "No one will be allowed to go there. It provides too easy of a vantage point for a clear shot at Gazelle. I think they were smart to pick this venue because A, it's inside, and B, the audience is in a semi-circle around her, instead of all around like her usual outside venues, so there's less angles of attack. Doug is small, so he'd have a hard time getting a clear shot from the ground floor."

"Gazelle lost a lot of seats this way, but it's more important that she shows she won't cave in to fear," Judy frowned. "Okay, so we know Doug will probably want to get to the mezzanine. It will be empty. Sheez, it almost feels like Gazelle is bait..."

"Sort of, but," Nick waved at Officer Higgins, the hippopotamus who was standing at an entrance to the mezzanine level. "All of the entrances to the mezzanine have an officer on them. He's not getting in without a fight."

"And every ten minutes," Judy went on, "All of the officers are supposed to check in to confirm they are still up." She checked her phone. "We should be hearing them on our ear buds pretty soon."

"Higgins, check."  
"Wolford, check."  
"Delgato, check."  
"Grizzoli, check."  
"Fangmeyer, check."  
"Snarlof, check."

"Right, just in case he tranqs one of them," Nick nodded. "Then, we'll know something is wrong."

"If he does manage to get in, though," Judy fretted, "he still has ten whole minutes to set up and shoot Gazelle."

"And that's where undercover cops like us come in," Nick said quietly, "we'll just have to keep our eye on the mezzanine level."

"Nick, you know I can barely see in the dark," Judy frowned.

" _I'll_ have to keep an eye on the mezzanine," Nick chuckled.

* * *

-Animalia, 7:00 PM-

Another band, the Rockin' Bucks, was set to play for twenty minutes before Gazelle, both to give the ZPD some time to get their routine down and to see if Doug would show up or make any moves. Nick and Judy were about in the center of the stadium floor, watching the band. Nick was dancing rather awkwardly, while Judy was more into the music and danced with her natural bunny vivaciousness. The noise level in the place was rather high.

Judy shot Nick a glance and shook her head. "Nick, we really have to work on your dancing! I'm embarrassed _for_ you!"

"I can't really feel the music when I'm waiting for a psychotic ram to show up!" Nick smirked. "Hey, is that Clawhauser really close to the stage?"

"I think so!" Judy chuckled. "If he sees a red laser pointer, you know both his cat instincts _and_ desire to protect Gazelle would launch him onto the stage."

"I hope it doesn't come to that!" Nick laughed. "She doesn't want a dart in her neck _and_ a tackle from a huge kitty!"

"Dunno about that second part!" Judy shared his laugh. "She does hang around those tigers, after all!"

7:20.

"Higgins, check."  
"Wolford, check."  
"Delgato, check."  
"Grizzoli, check."  
"Fangmeyer, check."  
"Snarlof, check."

Gazelle came on stage to cheering and applause. Nick and Judy both swallowed in nervousness, both for varied reasons. She greeted everyone and opened with "Try Everything".

"Ooh, I love this song!" Judy squealed.

"I feel like I've heard this one fifty times..." Nick groaned to himself.

7:23.

Gazelle had finished "Try Everything" and was about to start "Pred or Prey". Nick started to feel anxious, and did a slow, jaunty sort of bounce in place, turning around and scanning his eyes across the mezzanine level.

"Honestly, Nick!" Judy laughed. "Your dancing is about the most suspicious thing I've seen tonight!"

"Carrots!" Nick tried not to shout. "There's movement on the mezzanine, near the eastern edge! I can barely see a round figure!"

"No!" Judy said, looking back. "There are some large animals near the back; I think I can use one of their shoulders to spring right up onto the mezzanine! I'll get onto the mezzanine from the center, I think it'd be too far back for him to see me because of the curvature!"

"Good, you do that!" Nick nodded. "I'll make for the mezzanine entrances in the lobby and check on our boys, then try to flank him!" The two scattered.

"ZPD! Sorry!" Judy flashed her badge, leaping up onto a hippo's shoulder, then an elephant's, then scrambled over the edge of the mezzanine. They barely noticed, and looked annoyed more than inconvenienced. She carefully got low and close to the edge and tried to sneak over to the eastern side of the mezzanine, where she could barely see a shadowy figure. She wanted to wait for Nick.

Nick scrambled out into the lobby and towards where he thought the closest entrance to the area he saw the figure was. It was Delgato's post, and Nick did not immediately see the tiger. He gasped, and looked into the stairwell. Delgato was collapsed there, his eyes rolling back, and duct tape over his mouth. A dart was in his neck.

"Delgato!" Nick said, his voice hoarse. Nick quickly took the duct tape off of him and pulled the dart out, and Delgato barely reacted. His claws didn't even instinctively come out. "Delgato, are you okay, big kitty?" Nick listened for his shallow breaths.

"Duggohpasme... gommaireddio..." Delgato barely managed to say, his head lolling. Nick tried to keep him steady.

"Okay buddy, let me call you some help," Nick put his hand to ear, but stopped suddenly. "Wait, did you say he got your radio? God! That means I can't call for help without alerting him, and he's going to know something's wrong in about four minutes, when you don't answer your radio! Okay, hang tight there, Delgato, I gotta get to my bunny!"

Doug was looking down the sight of his sniper rifle, a tranquilizer dart primed. Judy knew she could wait no longer; he could fire at any moment. She drew her stun gun and leveled it at him.

"Set the gun down slowly, Doug," Judy sneered. "If you even twitch in the wrong way, we're going to find out if electrified sheep dream of androids!"

To Judy's great surprise, Doug did as she asked and dropped the weapon. "O-okay, I surrender."

"You remember me, Doug?" Judy went on, her face looking dangerous and a bit crazed. "It's Judy Hopps! You may not have seen my face that day, but oh, we've met! I introduced your BACK to my FEET!"

Doug's teeth grit, but he held his hands over his head.

"W-what are you doing? Resist arrest, already!" Judy growled. "I can't wait to pay you back for Manchas, Otterton, and all the others you hurt!"

"No, I'll go quietly..." Doug murmured. Judy ground her teeth in frustration, but couldn't bring herself to fire on him.

"Fine," Judy sighed, "guess we'll do this the easy way." Judy moved one of her hands into her coat to retrieve some handcuffs.

 _Thht._  
 _Clack!_

It happened in an instant. One of Doug's hands, behind his head, had reached for a small air-powered tranquilizer gun that he had attached to his back. As he shot, so did Judy. Her one-handed shot missed him by millimeters. She brought her free hand to her neck, and there was a dart sticking out of it.

"Oh, marshmallows..." Judy said, taking it out. Rapidly, she felt her senses starting to drain from her, her eyes straining and head spinning. "Boy, this stuff works fast..." Doug sneered in contempt and started to go for his sniper rifle.

"Still the best _and_ quickest shot in all of ZootopiaAA-GG-GG-GG-GG-GG-GG!"

Doug hadn't even heard the shot. Electric pain coursed through his body as Nick's stun gun charge sank into his back. He collapsed in a heap, jerking and twitching.

"Uffershly fir you... eh hevvuh purner..." Judy had a weak grin on before sinking to her knees, then her front.

"Thanks for giving me an excuse to shoot you," Nick said coldly, walking by his twitching body. "I may have had the juice up a bit too high for one your size. 'Oops.'" His expression was still stony as he walked past Doug and dropped next to Judy, turning her over and carefully watching for her breath and taking her pulse. It seemed stable. Nick's expression immediately softened. "Sorry about that, poor bunny. I know you wanted that a whole lot more than me." He took the cuffs out of Judy's jacket and cuffed Doug.

"Just wait till Dawn gets out!" Doug grumbled. "You haven't seen the last of her!"

"What is this, a cartoon? Shut your yap." Nick grumbled.

"Higgins, check."  
"Wolford, check."  
"Grizzoli, check."  
"Fangmeyer, check."  
"Snarlof, check."  
"...Delgato?"

"This is Wilde," Nick said into his earpiece. "Suspect apprehended, two officers tranqued. Need a bus for a bunny and a tiger, just in case. Grizzoli, could you meet me on the mezzanine? Need your help." Nick carefully picked up Judy and laid her over his shoulder. "Come on, sleeping beauty. There we go."

Doug made a face at this display of pred-prey tenderness. Grizzoli, one of Chief Bogo's polar bear officers, headed over to the three.

"You got him?" Grizzoli said excitedly.

"Yup, Judy distracted him long enough for me to shoot him; he tranqued her and Delgato," Nick explained. "I was wondering if a nice, big ol' predator like you could 'help' ol' Ramses here into a police cruiser." Grizzoli's face lit up, then narrowed dangerously.

"Well! It'd be my pleasure, Wilde!" He punched his fist into his palm. Doug groaned. "Hey, before I go, do you want me to get a picture of you with your partner slung over your shoulder like that?" He chuckled.

"Ah, I think I'll pass," Nick flashed an apologetic grin. "Because that picture would undoubtedly get to _her_ , and then _I'd_ be in a wheelchair."

"All right, let's go, dirtbag," Grizolli chuckled, yanking Doug off the ground with his powerful arms. Doug whimpered.

Nick started briskly moving out of the auditorium to get to the ambulance, just in case there was anything extra in those darts this time that needed their attention. To calm his nerves, he talked to her as he went. "Carrots, have I ever told you how cute you are when you're sleeping? I'm sure I have. You don't know? Ah, that's right, it's probably because you're _asleep_ every time I tell you that..."

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 12:25 PM-

Both Judy and officer Delgato had gotten a clean bill of health and returned to work the very next day. Nick told her what had happened after she fell unconscious, and how he had found Delgato. He obscured a few of the details, of course. Both of them were a bit surprised as they returned from their lunch to see Gazelle standing there in the lobby, waiting for them.

"Officers Wilde and Hopps!" Gazelle smiled at them.

"Oh, hi Gazelle!" Judy waved brightly. "Sorry I had to miss your concert last night. If you can believe it, I was sleeping through it!"

"I had heard!" Gazelle laughed warmly. "Thank you two so much for stopping that mad ram. Thanks in part to you two I will no longer have to be afraid to sing my songs and speak my speeches. I will be able to tell my Zootopia what it needs to hear, so it can keep being the Zootopia I love."

"Well, all of the ZPD really had at least _some_ role in helping, ma'am," Nick rubbed one of his paw's claws on his uniform humbly.

"Don't try to get out of this, Officer Wilde," Gazelle smirked. "I heard what you did. I'm going to give you both one of these." She handed them lanyards with plastic cards on them. "VIP passes. You are welcome guests of honor at any of my shows." Judy's face lit up, gasping.

"Whoa! How cool is this, Nick!?" She jumped up a couple of times.

"It's an honor, Ms. Gazelle," Nick nodded, "but you know, I think I should give mine to Clawhauser. I know he'd appreciate it a lot more than me."

"No, don't!" Judy suddenly looked very concerned. "He'll have a heart attack! In fact, um, Gazelle, I don't want to be rude, but you _might_ want to leave before Clawhauser gets back from _his_ lunch break, or else-"

The two heard a familiar, enormous gasp behind them.

"Too late!" Both the fox and bunny said in a tiny voice.

"Oh. Em. Goodness. IS THAT GAZELLE!?"


	3. Argumentative Partners

-Streets of Savanna Central, 2:00 PM-

"He's getting away, Carrots! Floor it!" Nick Wilde shouted at his partner as their cruiser tore down the street, chasing an orange medium-sized sports car.

"I'm trying! I've almost gotten us into three wrecks so far!" Judy Hopps shouted in frustration, pushing her bunny foot down on the accelerator. The car shrieked around a curve and down a long, straight road. A huge police cruiser appeared at the far end of the road suddenly. "Oh, finally!"

With nowhere left to go, the sports car was forced to scream to a halt, spinning around and smoking as it did. Judy brought her cruiser to a halt and she and Nick launched themselves out of it. Officer McHorn, a large, imposing, and gruff rhinoceros, headed out of the other cruiser, talking into a radio.

Judy and Nick were closing in on the sports car, but the door flew open and a male cheetah flew out of it and scrambled over the car, trying to head for an alleyway.

"Just perfect!" Judy snapped. "Of _course_ it's a cheetah! Why couldn't it have been Flash?" Judy's mouth broke into a huge frown as she rummaged in her belt's pockets.

"We just need to keep our eyes on him!" Nick offered. "Cheetahs can't maintain their top speed for very long!" Nick headed around the cheetah's car in the other direction to see if they could pincer him before he made it into the alleyway.

"He's not going to get that far! RUH!" Judy had spun and tossed a small set of bolas at the cheetah. Looking back, the cheetah's eyes widened and he made himself burst forward just a small bit, not using his full speed yet. The bolas instead headed right for Nick's ankles. "Nick! Stop moving!" Nick managed to stop just in time as he found the bolas wrapping around his own legs. His fox tail shot out straight as he tried to keep his balance.

"Oh, okay!" Nick said with exasperation. "I didn't want to catch him anyway!"

"Sorry!" Judy grimaced at him, heading into the alleyway that the cheetah had ducked into. Watching the action behind him had slowed the cheetah down, but his eyes widened as a furious, yelling bunny was gaining. She leaped and grabbed onto his waist. "You're under arrest!"

"I am?" Chuckled the cheetah. "Sure doesn't look like it!" Judy was only managing to slow the cheetah down somewhat. She growled in frustration, trying to steer him into the walls. Heavy footsteps started to sound out behind her.

"Whoa!" Judy squeaked as both she and the cheetah were lifted off the ground. McHorn had grabbed the cheetah by both his shirt and a tuft of his neck, and was dangling them both in midair.

"You done, Hopps?" McHorn grunted.

"Yeah, I'm done..." said Judy lowly, dropping off of the cheetahs waist and onto the ground.

"I'll take 'im in," McHorn carried the cheetah off. Nick was sitting on the ground, untangling the bolas from his legs, when he saw Judy dejectedly walking out of the alley.

"Sun-blasted raisins!" Judy kicked an empty box in disgust.

"What's got you so upset, Fluff?" Nick chuckled, putting on his signature smirk.

"Urgh, I just don't like getting shown up by other officers," Judy folded her arms, heading over to help Nick. "We were chasing that guy for way too long, and McHorn had to swoop in and save us. All I managed to do is tie up my own partner. I can hear Chief Bogo's lecture now." Her voice deepened. "Hopps! What were you thinking? You endangered the lives of several civilians with your reckless driving and- blah blah blah."

"Keep your ears on, Carrots," Nick shook his head, his smirk wide.

"I'll be lucky if Chief Bogo doesn't send us back to parking duty," Judy grumbled.

"Don't worry about Chief Buff," Nick winked. "We can just leave this little bolas thing out of the report."

"Really?" Judy said as he finally got free. "That would be nice of you." Her voice wavered a bit in embarrassment.

"What are partners for?" Nick asked with a wink.

* * *

-Judy's Pangolin Arms Apartment, 8:30 PM-

Judy sighed as she dressed down for bed. The dread of waiting for the hammer to come down on her from Chief Bogo had stressed her out all day. Chief Bogo's rebukes were mild, at worst, but Judy was still feeling upset with herself. She didn't lament not being big or strong, but her reckless tossing of those bolas had almost gotten Nick hurt. She sighed as she plopped herself into bed. If she had listened to Nick and just gave chase, maybe she could have caught up to the cheetah once his stamina ran out. Judy was quite a good endurance runner. Judy's teeth grit as she started to hear familiar sounds come from the wall she was closest to.

"I thought I told you I needed this shirt washed for tomorrow!" That was Bucky Oryx-Antlerson, Judy's kudu neighbor.

"Wash it yourself if you need it so bad!" Shot back Pronk Oryx-Antlerson, the oryx that Bucky lived with.

"You know this is my favorite shirt, why didn't you put it with the first load!?"  
"Shut up! A shirt is a shirt!"  
"You shut up!"  
"No, YOU shut up!"

"HEY!" Judy banged on the wall with her fist. "BOTH of you shut up! Have you guys forgotten you're living next to a POLICE OFFICER? I'm going to come right over there and bust both of you for disturbing the peace!"

There was a momentary reprieve. It lasted only about five minutes.

"I told you not to yell so loud," Pronk began. "You know we're treading on thin ice with that crazy bunny."

"The only reason I was _yelling_ is because of something _you_ did!" Bucky retorted.

"Like I'm supposed to care which of your shirts is your favorite."  
"Maybe you should care a little more!"  
"About a _shirt_? Give me a break!"  
"Shut up!"  
"YOU shut up!"

Judy let loose a growl of utter frustration and threw her covers over her head.

* * *

-Judy's Pangolin Arms Apartment, 8:15 PM-

Four days later, Judy was feeling drained as she readied for bed. She and Nick had been asked to help do traffic control and escort a very large funeral procession for the passing of an elderly female bunny. Judy got yelled at a lot by several impatient animals. How could they be so selfish that just one moment of their day was getting delayed for bunnies paying their final respects? Judy pondered this as she flopped into bed. She couldn't help wondering who the deceased was. So many cars on the street that day, going to the funeral. Did they all love her? One of the corners of Judy's mouth threatened to tug into a smile.

That was perhaps all you could ask for in life, she thought. Tons of family and friends that actually cared about you, wanting to respect your last memories and carry them on in their own hearts. But then a darker thought entered her mind. What if they didn't respect her? What if there was no love for her, or it had cooled off as she aged? Perhaps the only reason she had so many people at her funeral was just a sense of duty and not love. A duty for a bunch of bunnies to perform a perfunctory, meaningless silence for someone they barely knew.

The final silence.

Judy shuddered in her bed, wrapping herself in the covers. Then, she noticed suddenly that she hadn't heard Bucky or Pronk at all since she got home. The silence was actually starting to bother her. She felt like she might as well rouse them so she could hear some voices. Judy sat up in her bed and tapped on the wall. Then, a little harder. Suddenly she found herself banging on the wall like she was going to bust down a door.

"What do you want, bunny?" Pronk's voice asked in frustration. "I'm not making any noise!"

"Yeah, that's what's unusual!" Judy smirked. "Everything okay over there?"

"There's no arguing, is there?" Pronk launched back.

"You doing okay too, Bucky?" Judy chirped out. There wasn't an answer. "Bucky?" Another pause.

"Bucky's not here," Pronk finally said. "Said he needed some time alone."

"What...?" Judy blinked. "Did you two have a bigger fight than usual? Are you two going to be okay...?"

"...You know we're together, right?" Pronk asked cautiously.

"Since like the second week I moved in," Judy chuckled. "Give me a _little_ credit."

"I dunno if I want to tell you. Do you actually care or do you just want something to gossip about?" Pronk folded his arms, staring at his barely touched dinner.

"Please?"

"Bucky's been getting on me lately about trying to make amends with my old man," Pronk sighed. "Bucky's parents haven't minded that the two of us are together. Heck, I think his mom even likes us. But my dad, he's totally against us."

"Is it because..." Judy started hesitantly.

"Yeah, because he's a kudu," Pronk explained. "Dad _hates_ kudus. Says they're all curly horned whack-jobs. Twisted inside as out. Real charming, right?"

Judy wondered if what she was thinking of instead was more or less petty than that. "That's... pretty bad, yeah?"

"I don't think my pops is worth my time if he can't accept Buck and me," Pronk grumbled. "But Bucky's been on the warpath about it lately, telling me I gotta reach out. I dunno why he's getting so mad about this; it seemed like just another one of our arguments to me, but he stormed out."

"I wish I knew what to say that would help," Judy admitted, "but I don't. I don't have any experience being in a real relationship with someone."

"Eh, well, thanks for talking anyway, bunny," Pronk grumbled. "If you see Bucky, don't tell him I told you about this. He says I shouldn't be so direct with stuff like this. Says my horns are too sharp for me to be so blunt."

"Okay, I won't tell him," Judy promised. "G-goodnight?"

"I guess we'll see about that."

Judy laid back down in her bed. She didn't know if she felt any better than before.

* * *

-Streets of Savanna Central, 1:20 PM-

"Traffic rounds again," Nick sang obnoxiously, "oh, we're doin' traffic rounds again...!"

"I'll take it over parking duty," Judy smirked humbly as she drove down the streets. "At least I get to drive a monster of a cruiser instead of that 'joke-mobile.'"

"I wouldn't worry too much about that," Nick folded his arms. "With that Night Howler case in your cap, you've got a 'bit' of respect at the ZPD. And hey, we technically even helped bring that cheetah in last week."

"I guess so," Judy nodded. "Thanks again for not saying anything about the bolas incident."

Nick shrugged. "Eh, no big deal. No harm done."

"Can I ask you something? About relationships?" Judy asked suddenly. Nick's ears flattened a bit and he tried not to look too surprised as this was sprung on him.

"Uh, okay?"

"It's about my neighbors."

"Y-your neighbors?" Nick was trying not to sound alarmed.

"Yeah, they got into a really big fight."

Nick hoped his exhale couldn't be heard over the cruiser's engine. "But you said they always fight."

"Not quite like this," Judy shook her head. "I think they might need some help."

"Well, I can't say I'm an authority on prey relationships," Nick shrugged. "How about you? How was your luck in high school?"

"I uh, never really had a real boyfriend, I guess you could say," Judy offered in a smaller voice.

"What?" Nick actually looked somewhat surprised. "Lovely little bunny like you?"

Judy managed a smile at the compliment. "You know me, Nick. Don't try to think I was any different when I was a teenager. Sure, I had a lot of guys _attracted_ to me, but the rumors about me being a psycho with her head in the clouds were always floating around. 'She doesn't even wanna be a family bunny. She wants to go be a cop in Zootopia!' 'You know what they say, don't stick your nose in crazy. Especially if she makes it twitch first.'"

"Teenagers aren't any better than kids when it comes to cruelty," grumbled Nick.

"Oh, I didn't let it bother me," Judy said. "I had a laser focus on my goal. ...How about you? I can't imagine a charming fox like you went loveless through your teenage years."

"Mm," Nick's arms folded, his shoulders shrugged. His grunt was noncommittal.

"Come on," Judy smiled, stopping at a red light, "you had to have been a real heart breaker, huh?"

"Yeah, kinda..." Nick turned his head away. He didn't seem at all proud of this.

"Nick...?" Judy was concerned. There was a bit of a silence. She heard a horn blast behind her as she missed the light turning green. "Haha, wow, they have some guts to honk at a police cruiser."

"I uh, did have a few girlfriends," Nick nodded. "But I guess... I was afraid of getting too involved with them. I was just like I am now as a teenager, as well. 'Slick, smooth'. Vixens wanted me. But as they got close, I got so anxious. I started teasing them; picking at any little flaws they had. Some of them were okay with it, but I kept at it. Finally, I'd find something that broke them. They'd break up with me, but I didn't delude myself into thinking it was their fault."

Judy tried not to gasp. Her eyes widened. This was sounding a bit familiar to her. She tried to keep her focus on the road. "Nick..."

"So yeah, that was me, heart breaker Nick," Nick said distantly, looking out the window. "Eventually they stopped trying once the rumors got out that I'd eventually do or say something that would slice them in half."

"Can I ask why you did that...?" Judy's voice was tiny.

Nick's ears flattened again. "You've seen my true self, a few times anyway. The part of me I don't want anyone to see. So, I wanted to break down those vixens. I wanted to get at what _they_ didn't want anyone else to see. I knew that they couldn't possibly keep liking me if they knew who I was deep down, just like I couldn't like _them_ if I knew their darkest secrets."

"Whoa..." Judy felt like her head was spinning.

"So yeah," Nick grumbled. " _Not_ the best guy to ask for relationship advice."

"Oh, Nick," Judy tried to smile at him sweetly at the next red light, but he still wasn't looking. "I'm sure someone is going to come along and make you very, supremely happy, down to your very core. The _real_ you will be what draws her to you..."

Nick's head turned slowly, and he let himself catch a glimpse of Judy's smile. "I mean, I guess stranger things have happened to me."

* * *

-Judy's Pangolin Arms Apartment Floor, 6:35 PM-

Three days had passed. Judy had just about entered her apartment when she caught sight of Pronk down the hall. He was struggling somewhat, carrying a box of sodas and an armful of groceries.

"Uh, can I help you with that, Pronk?" Judy offered.

Pronk tossed the box of sodas at her. "Sure, knock yourself out."

"Oof!" Judy caught the sodas and they sent her back a bit. "That's going to get all the fizz going."

"Yeah well, I dunno when they're going to get drank anyway," Pronk muttered. "I barely touch the stuff."

Judy followed Pronk to his apartment. Pronk hesitated before he went in. The place was a bit of a mess, and he already had three boxes of sodas, all the same brand, waiting there.

"Um, oh," Judy said, placing the box of sodas on the others, "is Bucky... not back yet?"

"No," Pronk shook his head. "He's staying with his folks for a few days."

"Are you two... are you two still together?" Judy seemed worried.

"Yeah, I mean, as far as I know," Pronk gave a weak shrug. "At least I _hope_ Bucky would tell me if we were through. He said he was gonna stay away from me for awhile to give me some time, but I think he's the one that wants it."

"Pronk, I'm so sorry," Judy said, approaching him.

Pronk held out a hand in warning. "I don't need your pity or help, bunny. This is my problem, and as you said you have no clue about how to deal with a guy."

"T-that might be true," Judy nodded, wringing her hands. "But I think you need to talk to him maybe? About his feelings."

"Well I know he's mad at me, that's easy enough to get," Pronk shrugged his shoulders, putting his hands on his hips and looking away from Judy's piercing gaze. "I'll just let him cool off. He'll be back."

"I dunno if you should leave it at that?" Judy said hesitantly. "I mean, have you ever asked him _why_ he's so mad about you not wanting to tie things up with your dad?"

"Not exactly," said Pronk, "but I don't know if he'd tell me even if I asked. I can never get a straight answer out of that guy."

"I don't see what you'd have to lose by trying to understand his feelings about it a little more..." Judy shrugged, trying to keep her voice warm.

Pronk glared at her. He looked angry. His teeth started to show. Judy's eyes widened a bit, but she didn't back down. Pronk closed his mouth again. His face was firm, and Judy wasn't sure she could read it. He began to speak meticulously. "You know what I could lose. I could, ugh, just... him."

"I, uh..." Judy was out of things to say.

"Just leave me alone, okay, bunny? I need some time to think," Pronk made a shooing motion with both hands.

"Um, okay, sorry, bye..." Judy fled out of his apartment.

"Thanks for getting in the sodas," Pronk muttered in a barely audible voice. Judy was pretty sure she only caught it because of her bunny hearing.

Judy headed into her apartment, unsure if she did something wrong or not. She got her phone out and was prepared to text Nick to ask him if she screwed up. Her ears perked as she picked up a sound. She was pretty sure it was a soft sobbing. She bit her lip and decided she didn't want to confirm this, and turned up her radio a little bit.

* * *

-Judy's Pangolin Arms Apartment, 7:30 PM-

A week hence, Judy was thinking about hitting her bed early to do an exercise routine in the morning. She turned on her microwave after setting some instant dinner inside. Suddenly, her ear perked as she thought she heard some shuffling outside of her room.

"Hey," it was Pronk's voice.

"...Hey," that was Bucky. Judy drew in a sharp breath and turned the microwave off. She very carefully cracked her door open, her mind burning with curiosity.

"So uh, how have you been?" Pronk shrugged.

"Okay, I guess," Bucky's voice was even and unreadable. "Why'd you call me back here?"

"I just wanted to ask you, uh, in person," Pronk's hands twitched as he fought the impulse to wring them, "why do you want me to try to patch things up with my dad? You've seen how sour he is."

Bucky sighed. "C'mon, Pronk."

"Please just tell me, Buck," Pronk was trying to keep his voice from sounding too desperate.

"Well, you know my aunt died two months ago, right?" Bucky gestured with his hand.

"Yeah; I didn't think you two were close, though," said Pronk.

"We weren't, that's the problem," Bucky said. "She never wanted to do anything with the family once she heard you and I were together. She hated the whole interspecies thing."

Pronk shrugged his shoulders. "Another close-minded family member. Can't say I'm surprised."

"But now she's gone, Pronk," Bucky grit his teeth, "and I'll never get to know if we could patch things up. Maybe one of us could have talked sense into her if she knew us a bit better."

"So then, my dad..." Pronk started, but trailed off.

"Do you need me to spell it out for you, moron?" Bucky said, his voice cracking a bit. "He's your last living relative; all you have! And he had a heart attack three years ago! Who knows when he'll be gone for good? Do you really want to spit on his grave? Do you really _want_ for the last family you have on this Earth to give you nothing but hated memories?"

"I mean, your family is cool," Pronk said weakly.

"Yeah, and I'm thankful for that," Bucky said, taking in a deep breath to steady himself. "But as far as I know you got along great with your dad before me. Can you at least _try_ to make things right with him? I don't need you to perform a miracle; if you can't do it, that's his problem. But I... just want to see that you care. A little."

"...All right, Buck, if it'll make you happy," Pronk said after a pause. He gently sighed. "Sorry I didn't ask you about this sooner."

Bucky gently shoved Pronk on his shoulder after a small delay. "...Shut up, you know I could have came back whenever I wanted. ...You know I can be stubborn."

"You shut up," Pronk returned in a small voice, pushing him back. "If I could have told how much you cared about this you'd never have left."

"No, you shut up..."  
"You..."

Judy closed the door to her apartment, covering the huge grin that had burst from her face with her hands. She was trying not to squeal; she didn't think she had been noticed. After happily scarfing down her admittedly tasteless dinner, she launched into bed with a big grin. Judy had felt like, in some small way, maybe she had made the world a better place once again. Just a little.

Her peace in bed lasted maybe ten minutes.

"What's with all this soda!?" Bucky's voice rang out through her wall. "I'll never be able to get to all this before they go flat!"

"It was all a good deal, Bucky!" Prong shot back. "Maybe I know how much you like this soda!"

"I'm gonna toss it down the drain if you don't help me drink it!"  
"You know how many calories and sugar that swill has!?"  
"I think that mouth could USE a bit of sweetening once in awhile!"  
"Sure hasn't worked on you!"  
"Shut up!"  
"YOU shut up!"  
"No, YOU SHUT UP!"  
"YOU SHUT UP...!"

Judy sighed, her mouth still smiling. It was _almost_ music to her big, black-tipped bunny ears.


	4. Stealing Partners

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 8:07 AM-

Judy Hopps sat on her chair in the briefing room next to Nick Wilde, listening for Chief Bogo to call out their assignment. He always tended to wait till they were nearly the last ones left to call them, which made her a bit antsy.

"Alright, I'm making a bit of a change, here," Chief Bogo said, staring at a case file from behind his glasses. Judy felt a small stab of anxiety. "Officer Coonson, I'm taking you off of the Reddish robbery case. I need you on the footage of the serial robber that's been violently attacking those pawn shops of late." Judy looked at officer Jeffrey Coonson. He was a brown-eyed raccoon, the second mammal Chief Bogo had been assigned from the Mammal Inclusion Initiative. His face read displeasure at having his assignment changed. "Hopps, Wilde. You two pick up this case." Chief Bogo shook the case file in his hand and Nick went to pick it up while Judy was still looking at Coonson. "Dismissed!"

The mammals began to file out of the briefing room, and soon only Coonson, Nick and Judy were left. Coonson was grumbling to himself.

"I can't believe he took me off of the Reddish case," Coonson started, sucking his teeth. His voice had a small bit of a city accent to it and a hint of gravel. "Bet it's cause I'm a raccoon."

"What do you mean by that, Coonson?" Asked Nick, folding his arms.

"You know, raccoons," Coonson indicated his black-furred mask around his eyes. "We're always getting called thieves. We were one of the first mammals to evolve these, after all." He wiggled his thumbs. "So mammals think we got the predisposition to steal things."

"You think Chief Bogo took you off the case for _that_?" Judy narrowed one eye. "But he just put you on another robbery case!"

"Yeah, one where I'll be 'hands off,'" Coonson made air quotes. He shook his head. "Don't act like the Chief's some kinda saint. I heard about the hard time he gave you when you were startin' out, Hopps."

"Er, that is true, but it's been about two years since then," Judy pondered, "besides, you're a raccoon on the police force!"

"I bet it wasn't his choice," Coonson said, flicking his arm up near his head, "and you know leopards don't change their spots. See ya." He left the room.

Judy sighed. "Well Nick, what have we gotten ourselves into today?"

"Vivian Reddish," Nick started, looking at the case file. "No picture. Lives in a house in Savanna Central, somewhat close to Mezzo park. Got robbed, hm, handwriting's hard to read."

"So much for those raccoon thumbs being steady or anything," Judy joked as she shrugged her shoulders with her hands at her sides. Nick rolled his eyes.

"From what I can make out, entry was gained from the second floor, not too many items took, rings, of unknown value?" Nick shook his head. "Doesn't look like Coonson got very far."

"Let's just head over to her house and see what we can see," Judy beckoned.

* * *

-Meadow Street, Vivian's House, 9:17 AM-

"Wow, Judy said, pulling up to the modestly-sized, two story house of Vivian Reddish. "To actually own a _house_ in Zootopia, Savanna Central especially."

"I know," Nick grinned. "She's got to be some old, loaded mammal. Crotchety. Probably widowed. Angry that she's missing even a thousandth of her fortune."

The two started to exit Judy's police cruiser. "I wonder if Coonson was right about why he got taken off this."

"Well, he sure didn't make any headway," Nick shrugged, "but he's a _police officer_. You, of all people, should know better than to cast suspicion on him based on his species."

"Just because you're a police officer doesn't mean you're above suspicion, Nicholas," Judy had her arms out. "Remember those rams?"

"Okay, let's stop talking before you say something about Coonson you regret, Carrots," Nick rolled his eyes, knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" A pleasant voice called out from the door before too long.

"Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, ZPD," Judy said loudly, "just want to talk to you, ma'am."

The door opened and Nick's eyes widened slightly. On the other side was a red fox vixen very slightly shorter than he was. She had nice blue eyes, a kind face, and modest, softly-colored yellow and blue clothing. Judy smiled.

"I'm Vivian Reddish," she introduced, "ah, is this about my stolen items?"

"Yes, we've been assigned to the case," Judy nodded enthusiastically.

"Is that raccoon officer okay?" Vivian tilted her head.

"He got moved to another case, ma'am," Nick confirmed.

"Oh, please don't call me ma'am," Vivian giggled, "I'm only twenty-six. Miss, if you must..."

"Can we come in, miss?" Judy smiled.

"Um, of course! I was just about to leave for work; I usually open at about ten today," Vivian turned around to let them in. Judy shot Nick a narrow-eyed, smirking look that he understood to say "old, crotchety mammal, huh?" Nick returned a stern look that Judy knew meant "don't start." Judy giggled very softly.

"So!" Judy said in a peppy voice. "Where do you work, then?"

"At Mezzo Park," Vivian nodded. Her house was a bit of a mess inside from the robbery, but it still had a strange sort of elegance to it. "I have a fruit stand there. I sell frozen drinks, usually. Seven days a week! I keep a kind of strange schedule though, some days earlier, some days just for the hot hours of the day... er- I'm rambling, aren't I?" She seemed a bit nervous.

"A fruit stand, huh?" Nick looked around at the house. "And you live in a nice place like this?"

"Oh! Well, um," Vivian giggled. "The Reddish family comes from a very long and somewhat prosperous line of farmers. We started as the Radish family, actually, and it became Reddish when our lineage moved from vegetables to fruits. We mostly lived in Bunnyburrow, actually."

"Oh right, right!" Judy nodded, giving a snap of her furry fingers. "The Reddish Orchards, I've seen those! I'm from Bunnyburrow, too."

Vivian gave a soft giggle, nodding. "Those are the ones! My parents actually moved down here to Zootopia to try the big city life. They had a fruit shop storefront here. But, they got bored of the bustle after a time and went back to Bunnyburrow, feeling a calling to their roots. They left me the house. I still like it here. So many interesting animals to talk to; that's why I just operate a fruit stand, I love animal-watching in the park... and uh, I'm boring you." She flashed her teeth in apology.

Nick shook his head; Judy didn't know if it was to say no or if he was breaking a trance. "Oh no, not at all, miss. So what exactly was stolen from you?"

"Oh, just one thing, er, seven things," Vivian took out her phone and scrolled to a picture, showing them a small brown treasure box that had seven gold rings in it. "These seven rings have been in my family for longer than any of us can remember! Right as we took the Reddish name, I think. One of my ancestors commissioned these seven rings; each one has a gem in a different color of the rainbow, representing a different fruit. I was so in love with them as a kit; I couldn't wait till I inherited them. Used to wear a different one each day of the week at my stand..." She looked somewhat sad.

Judy looked at her case file. "According to this we never heard how much exactly they're worth?"

"Oh! I have no idea!" Vivian giggled. "I've never had them appraised; I'd never sell them! They're just too sentimental to me."

"All right, when exactly were you robbed?" Nick wondered.

"Um, it was about two weeks ago, now," Vivian recalled. "It happened in the evening. I was away, I had just come home, taken off my ring for the day, put it away in the box in this drawer, and gone out to go shopping. I did lock up..."

Nick looked into the drawer, which was now empty. He didn't see anything. He sniffed a bit.

"Anything?" Judy asked.

Nick shook his head. "Been too long, Carrots." Vivian tilted her head at the nickname.

"The case file says the thief likely entered through the second floor?"

"Ah yes, through the window in my room. Let me take you there." Vivian started to head upstairs and Nick went to follow, but then turned his head away and indicated Judy should go first after he caught a glimpse of Vivian's swishing fox tail. Judy flashed him an impish grin that he took great care not to look at. They headed up to her room, which was fairly nice looking except for the broken window. "I still haven't had a chance to replace the window yet."

"Have you found anything unusual in your room since then?" Judy asked.

"Nothing I've noticed," Vivian shrugged.

Nick started sniffing along the windowsill and then put his hands on it, bending over and pretending like he was going to climb out. It was Vivian's turn for her eyes to widen and turn away from the fox tail on display.

Judy stifled a giggle at both this and what Nick was doing. "What are you doing, Nick?"

"Just trust me, Carrots," Nick said. "If I was climbing out this window sill, my ankle would hit it about... here..." He dropped to the floor and looked long the carpet very carefully. "Ah ha! A hair!" He picked up the white hair very carefully and sniffed at it. "One single white hair. Can't tell what it is. Must have worn some sort of odor-blocker."

"I mean, that could be mine?" Vivian indicated her neck fur, which was white, compared to Nick's creamy peach neck fur.

"Maybe you could go sniff her and find out?" Judy offered with a tinge of playfulness.

"Carrots!" Nick said sternly. Vivian felt her ears grow warm. "No, no it's probably not Vivian's, er, Ms. Reddish's, unless she likes rubbing her neck along her windowsill. This fur probably came from a foot or an ankle once the thief moved it against the sill."

"So uh, did _you_ smell anything weird once you knew you had been robbed?" Judy asked Vivian.

"Oh, yes," Vivian recalled, nodding. "But I thought it was just because the thief had left the door open. "I thought I smelled a faint trace of another female canid? I'm sure it wasn't me."

"Hmm," Nick placed the hair into a bag. "We'll have to run this. We'll at least get the species, if nothing else."

Vivian smiled. "This is exciting! Um, can I do anything else for you two?"

"I think we might be done for now actually, miss," Nick nodded. "We'll let you know what we find."

"Great!" Vivian said. The two officers left her house.

Judy flashed an enormous, toothy smile at Nick as they got into their cruiser. Nick heard her make a little squeak of glee.

"Dont. Say. Anything." Nick's ears were flat, and he did not meet her gaze.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 11:27 AM-

Nick popped his head into Judy's cubicle the next day.

"White wolf."

"Excuse you?" Judy smirked, appending the Reddish case file.

"Results on the hair got back; it's a white wolf," Nick nodded.

"Oh!" Judy looked excited. "Do we know who it belongs to?"

"Nope," Nick shook his head. "Either she, assuming its a she, has never been caught or is a first time offender. No DNA on file."

"Darn," Judy threw her hand across her chest while snapping.

"Hey," Coonson called out from the next cubicle over, "how are you two doin' with the case you stole from me, uh?"

"Um, we're getting somewhere, we think?" Judy grinned, popping over to check how Coonson was doing. He was staring at security footage, still. "We're pretty sure our thief is a white wolf, probably female. How about you? Any luck?"

"I'm looking for a black bear," Coonson said in boredom. "He's attacked four separate pawn shops of late. Trying to check other footage to see if he cases the place before he hits it. A lot of these pawn shops still use crummy black and white cameras."

"There's a lot of bears there," Judy wrinkled her nose at one of the videos. "I can't tell if they're brown, black or what..."

"Really?" Coonson seemed surprised. "That one's brown, that ones black. That one's deeper brown. Easy." Judy looked befuddled.

"I had heard," Nick came in, holding his finger up, "that raccoons have the ability to see different shades of gray extremely easily to help with their night vision. This might be why Chief Buff put you on this case."

"That may be true," Coonson shrugged, then held his fingers up and rubbed them against each other. "But we 'coons are also very tactile. It's so boring to just sit here and stare at a computer screen. I wanna be out there."

"Mm," Judy nodded. "Well Nick, maybe we should ask around at a few pawn shops ourselves to see if any white wolves have tried to sell a collection of seven rings."

"Good plan," Nick nodded.

"See ya on the footage," Coonson waved rather grumpily.

* * *

-Mezzo Park, 1:07 PM-

"We've checked basically every pawn shop in Savanna Central by now," Judy complained as she and Nick walked through the park three days later, still on duty. "Not one animal has seen a white wolf or anyone else for that matter try to sell even _one_ of those rings by their description."

"The criminal would be smart not to sell them all at once," Nick agreed. "Perhaps they want to keep them for themselves? Or sit on them for awhile until they're sure the trail is cold."

"I just hope they haven't skipped to another section of Zootopia," Judy showed her teeth.

"So what are we doing in the park, again?" Nick wondered.

"Well, Ms. Reddish is probably at her stand today, I wanted to ask her something," Judy explained, getting a notepad ready.

"What's that?"

"Well, think about it," Judy went on. "She has seven rings, one for each day of the week. She wore a different one each day. So that means..." Judy waited for Nick.

"Oh!" Nick pointed at her with both forefingers. "Since the rings were the only thing stolen, the criminal was probably someone who had known she had seven different rings to steal!"

"Right!" Judy nodded. She looked around towards the center of the park. "Oh, is that her over there?" Judy wandered over swiftly to Vivian's fruit cart. Nick followed at his normal pace.

"Hello, Ms. Reddish!" Judy waved cheerfully. Vivian looked down to meet her gaze.

"Oh, Officer Hopps was it?" Vivian smiled over at Nick next. "And Officer Wilde. Good to see you! Oh, and please just call me Vivian." Nick took in a slightly deeper breath.

"I had a question for you!" Judy said rather proudly. "So, we were wondering if you had any repeat customers lately, before you were robbed."

"I do get several repeat customers," Vivian nodded. "I'm afraid I can't remember them all."

"How about one who visited you at least once on each day of the week?" Nick offered.

"Let me think," Vivian looked contemplative, then gasped slightly. "A white wolf female! Just about Officer Wilde's height and build. Never got her name... she ordered a different drink each day for a week, then was gone."

"I don't suppose she..." Judy looked at Vivian's menu, giving a slight grin with her eyes narrowed and tilting her head, "ordered a drink each day that corresponded with the gem on your ring...?"

Vivian looked incredulous. "Well, now I feel kind of stupid, really..."

"Oh, don't," Nick held up a hand. "Sometimes you need an outside influence to give you a different perspective."

"Hey, can I get you two some drinks, anyway?" Vivian smiled.

"Ooh, can I try the orange smoothie?" Judy grinned.

"Hm, I'll try the blueberry slush," Nick said after considering.

"Coming up!" Vivian chirped. Both fox and bunny reached into their wallets.

"I got it," said Nick nonchalantly.

"I got it," Judy retorted firmly.

"How about neither of you got it?" Vivian giggled, pushing the drinks forward. "You are helping me with such a frivolous little thing after all."

"Uh, well we haven't come up with much yet," Judy admitted. "Maybe save doing us any favors till we get you your rings back."

"I got it!" Nick said excitedly and slammed the money on the counter. "Boom." He clicked his teeth and pointed at Judy. Judy looked offended.

"Grr..." She frowned at him. Nick smiled broadly. Vivian took the money, grinning at their interaction.

Nick took a sip. "So was there anything in particular notable about the white wolf?"

"Hm," Vivian tried to recall. "She was taciturn, barely said anything, somewhat emotionless. She was always sharply dressed, had a dainty scarf on each time that came down the front... some sort of gold pin on her collar I think? I think it was a chevron."

"Ooh, okay, this is more to go on," Judy excitedly scribbled in her notepad. "What day after she vanished were you robbed?"

"Hm... a week later, I think?" Vivian thought.

"To the day...?" Judy pursued. Vivian nodded.

"This is good information, Vivian. I think for now we will bid you adieu," Nick gave a small salute.

"Bye! Thanks for dropping in!" Vivian smiled, waving.

"So, a weeks worth of ring-watching," Nick said, holding out a finger as he sipped his drink, then added another, "a week after that, she strikes."

"She stole seven rings," Judy nodded, sipping her drink hard. "Do you think she might have some sort of obsession with the number?"

"I was taught to never believe in coincidences," Nick nodded.

"We should see if there's any other 'seven' connections we can make; see if that will perhaps lead us to another connected robbery or where she might try to sell the rin- _GAOUCH_!" Judy cringed, holding her paw up to her left eye.

"Did a bee get you?" Nick looked concerned, but then his eyes narrowed. "Oh no, it was a brain freeze wasn't it? That's my partner, always jumping into things too fast."

"Oh, hush your muzzle..." Judy whined in pain.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 2:27 PM-

Nick hovered over Judy at her cubicle. They were looking though several physical and digital case files of unsolved robberies.

"None of these stand out to me," Judy complained, "you can start to see sevens everywhere you look if you try hard enough. My coffee this morning cost 3.27!"

"Just gotta keep looking," Nick nodded, shuffling papers, "there's gotta be something that stands out. No way some obsessive-compulsive kleptomaniac only strikes once."

"Hey!" Coonson yelled from the next cubicle over. "Y'ain't talking about a raccoon, are you?"

"No, Coonson," Judy grumbled. "We're looking for a white wolf, remember?"

"White wolf?" Coonson straightened up in his chair. "Hey, that reminds me. I saw something weird on the past few days of footage I got on this one store called the Paw Pawn." Both Nick and Judy curiously scrambled into his cubicle. He flinched. "Uh, nice to see you too?"

"Can you show us?" Judy asked.

"I thought the footage was glitching or something because I saw the same thing on five different tapes of the last five days," Coonson brought up five videos. In them, a sharply dressed white wolf came inside, looked around, then left. "Kinda suspicious, right? This white wolf. Know she's not a light gray cause of the ol' 'coon eyes." He pointed to his eyes with two fingers. "She came in at seven each night, looked around for about seven minutes, then left. I thought she might be casing the place but..."

Nick's eyes went wide. "She _is_ casing the place! Tonight's footage would make number six... and then..."

"She's going to sell the rings on the seventh night! Has to!" Judy gasped.

"Where's this pawn shop?" Nick asked Coonson.

"Hang on a sec," Coonson looked it up on the Internet and pulled up the map.

Nick's jaw hung open. "Seventy-seventh street..."

"No way! NO WAY!" Judy hopped up and down twice, waving her hands in front of her mouth in excitement. "We _have_ to go there tomorrow night!"

"Jeffy, ol' buddy, you might have just solved your old case after all," Nick smirked proudly.

"Uh, you're welcome?" Coonson shrugged in equal parts haughtiness and confusion.

* * *

-Outside the Paw Pawn, 6:57 PM-

Nick and Judy hid just around the corner of the building. There was a torrential downpour that evening; one could barely see even with the street lights.

"It's raining cats and dogs," Judy looked a bit worried.

"Hopefully at least dogs," Nick smirked.

"Think she'll show?" Judy seemed unsure.

"With a twist this solid?" Nick shook his head. "Carrots, I think it could be HAILING and she'd still show."

Sure enough, a white wolf appeared, heading under the awning of the pawn shop and closing her black umbrella, gently shaking it off.

Judy checked her phone. "Seven on the nose. Uncanny." Both she and Nick moved in.

"Hello!" Judy said cheerfully. "I'm Judy Hopps, and this is my partner Nick Wilde, I'd like to ask you if- GUH!" The wolf suddenly swung hard at Judy with an upward motion of her umbrella, striking her on the side. The force sent her back, spinning once in the air, and she landed on her rear on the sidewalk. Nick gasped, holding his hand to his stun gun's holster.

"ZPD, freeze!" Nick shouted at her. "Grgh!" The wolf opened the umbrella in his face and pushed to temporarily stun him. The opening motion made him drop the weapon he was drawing. She released the umbrella towards Nick and made off for the alley. Nick recovered before Judy and ran after her. Judy got up as quickly as she could manage, rubbing her side.

"Oww..." she moaned, picking up Nick's stun gun and running off after them. She hobbled a bit but her adrenaline quickly dulled her pain and she reached a good speed. As she got into the opening of the parking lot, she felt a shot of panic. The blinding rain and indistinct lighting shadowed the two canids. Judy saw punches thrown and claws swipe. She heard canid yelps and growls from both of them through the dull roar of the rain. But the wolf's build was so similar to Nick's, and her scarf looked almost exactly like Nick's tie. Judy couldn't make the two out. She kept trying to edge closer with her weapon drawn, but the fight kept seeming to pull away from her.

"I got this, Carrots!" Nick said from the fight. Judy's rain-soaked ears twitched as she desperately aimed for the opposite shadow, but they swirled around each other a few times and she lost track again. "Don't shoot, please! You'll hit me!"

"Nick...!?" Judy tried to edge closer again, flinching when she saw punches land on both sides. She saw muzzles pushed aside from the blows and fangs bare in anger.

"Almost got her!" Nick groaned.

"I can't just do nothing!" Judy shrieked, trying not to panic. Her hands were trembling around Nick's stun gun.

"Ngh! Get a muzzle ready!" Nick shouted at her.

Judy nodded, quickly setting Nick's gun on the asphalt. She pulled out a muzzle from her utility packs. She glared at the fight, trying to focus. One of the shadows flinched as a claw slash landed on their shoulder, then the other figure started to hold both of the injured canid's hands behind them.

"Now, Judy! DO IT!" Nick yelled.

Judy gasped as her first name was called out; it instantaneously drove her to action. She sprang forward at the canid figures, but right before she hit the subdued shadow, it dropped its head sharply. Judy barely had time to process this as she landed on its back and the muzzle fit cleanly over...

...The white wolf!

Judy let loose a small noise of surprise, but quickly secured the muzzle in less than a second as she had practiced at least a hundred times. The wolf was also surprised and stunned into inaction for just one second.

"Jump!" Nick commanded. Judy listened immediately, leaping high off his back. Just in time, too, the wolf had recovered her wits and furiously slashed at where the rabbit was with both hands. Nick grit his teeth, seeing her wild slash shift her balance, and he swept his leg at her ankles from his crouching position.

"Aaagh!" The wolf cried out as her legs were taken out from under her and she fell onto the asphalt. She immediately tried to regain her balance, pushing up with her hands, but Judy landed directly on her back. Focusing all her weight on it, the wolf crashed back to the ground.

"Gotcha!" Nick smirked, whipping out cuffs and arresting the fallen wolf.

"Well!" Judy panted. "I don't know what you _think_ we were going to talk to you about, but _now_ you're under arrest for assaulting a police officer!" The wolf growled. Judy went to get Nick's weapon and returned it to his holster. The two then got the wolf up and escorted her under the awning.

"I think protocol dictates that _you_ need to pat her down," Nick smirked, holding the wolf steady. Judy punched her fist into her other hand, then started rather roughly patting her down. As she did, Judy noticed her gold pin on her outfit's collar. It was, of course, the number seven. She recovered her wallet and a medium-sized black box.

"So, Luna Circlet, is it?" Judy grinned. She popped open the box. "Ooh and look at _this_ , Nick! Seven rings, each with a different colored gemstone!"

Nick gasped facetiously, "For me, Luna? You shouldn't have! I'm afraid I can't accept though. Kinda married to the job."

"Bite me," Luna offered in a low voice.

"Love to!" Nick sneered. "Might get in trouble, though."

"I won't tell," Judy grinned. Nick resisted the slight temptation, and shoved Luna into the back of their cruiser. Judy wordlessly drew in a slurping breath as she saw Nick's wounds.

"Eh, all superficial, I bet," Nick shrugged. He didn't seem like he was in a lot of pain. He sighed as he relaxed in their cruiser. "Thanks for trusting me enough to not shoot at us with the gun. I was already taking a beating, I didn't need to have current shooting through my body as well."

Judy smiled at him. "Well, thank you for trusting _me_ enough to let me come right at you with a muzzle! I know that can't have been easy, especially for you..."

Luna made a gagging noise. "Oh SEVEN HEAVENS! Would one of you PLEASE just SEDATE me?"

Nick and Judy shot each other quite a malicious look as Judy started the cruiser.

"Oh, who's my bestest widdle foxy partner in the whole wide world?" Judy cooed in an extremely condescending voice.

Nick gasped, and matched her voice. "Is that me? And who's my bravest, strongest, most tail-kicking widdle bunny that ever did exist?"

"Aww, that's _me_ , isn't it?" Judy looked bright. Now Luna actually looked like she was gagging. "Aw, and did that mean ol' Luna give you some boo-boos? We'll have to go to the medic and make you all better!"

"Okay, don't push it," Nick laughed in his normal voice.

"I'm serious, though," Judy dropped her voice as well. "Please don't bleed all over my cruiser."

"I'll try, jeez!" Nick chuckled. "We can always get it cleaned. So! Luna! Were you going to try to sell the rings for 777 bucks apiece, or the whole set for 7777?"

Luna just laid sideways on the back seat of the police cruiser, looking extremely exasperated.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 1:47 PM-

Another week had passed. The ZPD temporarily held onto Vivian Reddish's rings to see if they could connect Luna Circlet to any more robberies. Nick visited Judy at her cubicle, wearing a bunch of bandages from his superficial claw wounds.

"Still?" Judy narrowed one eye and winced. "You look like you're auditioning for the lead role in Anubis Arisen."

"They usually give that part to a jackal," Nick chuckled. "Oh, Delgato and Fangmeyer got the warrant to go raid Ms. Circlet's abode. Wanna see the pictures?"

"Do I ever!" Judy grinned. Nick threw a few of the pictures on her desk. The inside of her apartment was quite unusual, filled with the circles of jewelry hanging from the ceiling by small chains. "Wow, so weird! Kinda pretty, in a way."

Nick threw another picture down. "Lottery tickets with only sevens filled in; even a book called 'how the number seven changed my life'. Wow. What a piece of work." Nick shook his head.

"Hey Nick," Judy tilted her head, "I haven't seen Officer Coonson around. I was going to thank him for giving us such a big break on his case. He kinda stole it back from us, huh?" Nick shook his head to say he hadn't seen him, but nodded at the assessment that Coonson had helped.

"Nor will you see Officer Coonson around in the future, not around here anyway," Chief Bogo happened by their cubicle and stopped to talk.

"Did you... fire him?" Judy's eyes widened.

"No!" Bogo looked displeased. "He asked for, and I granted, a transfer to the Rainforest District Police Department. Hmhm. I don't know if he thinks Chief Bagheera will be any less strict than I. He may be in for a surprise."

Judy grit her teeth. "If I may, sir, I think he might have felt chased off because you took him off an assignment involving stolen goods."

Chief Bogo's expression became dangerous. "Watch your tiny mouth, Hopps. You of all people should know I have learned better than to underestimate my people. I put him on an important case where his help was most valuable. He led us to the criminal, and he might have saved lives in the process. You two are the ones that should be insulted that I sent you out hunting baubles instead of trying to protect the pawn shop cashiers of this district."

"Then... why did he want to leave?" Judy was baffled.

"Some people are looking for reasons to be offended, Hopps," Bogo grunted, folding his arms. "Sometimes they find them even when there are none. For what it's worth, I'm glad you stuck with me despite how I treated you initially. Some mammal's skin isn't as thick as yours."

Judy gave a small smile as Bogo stomped off. She then turned to Nick. "Well, _you_ were quiet."

"And miss one word of my partner's ears getting chewed off?" Nick smirked.

"Oh, har har," Judy rolled her eyes up and moved them from side to side. "So, I think that about wraps it up for this case. Do you want to go return Vivian's rings?"

"Do I want to go return a young vixen her seven lovely rings?" Nick pretended to be contemplative. "I think that would be a bad idea."

"Well, if you're going to make me do it, come with me at least," Judy said brightly, then chirped musically: "You are my partner!"

"Fine..." Nick relented, his eyes squeezing shut and fists balling.

* * *

-Meadow Street, Vivian's House, 7:17 PM-

Vivian looked a bit surprised to see the fox and the bunny at her door, both looking quite pleased with themselves.

"Oh Vivian, look at what _we_ found!" Judy sang, presenting the box with all seven of Vivian's rings.

Vivian gasped. "You _found_ them? Oh my gosh!" She took the rings from Judy's offering hands gently. "Thank you! They mean so much to me!" She took the box and set them down on a counter, then looked at both of them in jubilation, wondering how to express her thanks. Nick pointed offhandedly at Judy.

"Woah!" Judy yelped as Vivian lifted her off the ground briefly in a hug. "Uh, pleased to serve!" Vivian set her down, and offered a tender smile to Nick.

"Thank you so much..." Vivian's voice was gentle and pleasant. "I'm so grateful that the ZPD was willing to help me with such a trivial thing."

"Crime is always serious, Vivian," Nick nodded humbly. "By taking down that criminal, we were led to a bunch of other stolen goods. We were happy to help."

"Well, I hope you two won't be strangers at my cart!" Vivian smiled brightly. "Come by if you're ever thirsty; I'll give you whatever you'd like!"

"Hear that, Carrots?" Nick grinned at her briefly. "More brain freezes, just for you!" Judy shot him a look of playful scorn. Nick and Vivian then shared one small look, their muzzles displaying just about the same amount of smile. Judy became contemplative; the wheels in her bunny head were turning.

"I guess I shouldn't wear those rings to the park anymore," Vivian chuckled a little. "But I am very thankful for your help. See you later?"

"Bye!" They both said their goodbyes, and Nick finally noticed the shrewd look on Judy's face as they headed back to the cruiser. His own face became wary.

"Fluff, whatever you're thinking, stop thinking it."

Judy's eyes were narrow, and she just grinned.


	5. True Partners

-En Route From Bunnyburrow to Zootopia-

"Could you slow it down a bit, Carrots?" Nick Wilde chided, making sure his seat belt was on tight. "The drive is supposed to take two and a half hours, not ninety minutes."

"Sorry, Nick," Judy Hopps dropped the speed of their police cruiser a bit. "I can't believe they asked us to come all the way from Zootopia just to solve a string of petty robberies."

"Well, you're a bit of a celebrity there, aren't you?" Nick smirked. "And we got the guy, right? Did you know him?"

"Not personally, no," Judy shook her head. "But it doesn't surprise me. Bunnies can really be jerks... as I'm sure you well know." Nick chuckled as she hastily added on that last bit so she wouldn't have to hear about it from him.

"No idea what you're talking about, darlin'. Anyway, it was good to see your folks again."

"And by that you mean, it was nice that you got to take home a blueberry pie made from Hopps' farm produce." Judy grinned at the lovingly wrapped pastry under his seat.

"If I'm not at work tomorrow, it probably means I ate the whole thing." Nick let his tongue play along his lips.

"Pace yourself, you goober," Judy chuckled. "Oh hey, do you remember that one vixen whose house got robbed not too long ago?"

"By the wolf, yeah?" Nick looked up to think. "Her inherited jewelry had gotten stolen. We got that wolf and got her things back." Judy nodded, smiling.

"She dropped by the station a few days ago, wanting to personally thank us," Judy went on, "you were in a meeting with Chief Bogo." Nick grunted a little, nodding. "I saw her in Mezzo Park the other day, while I was on my morning jog. She has a fruit stand in the park, remember?"

"Jeez, you find time to jog _before_ work?" Nick was impressed.

"Well, when I kick perps, I need them to fall over," Judy smirked. "Anyway, Vivian, right? Vivian Reddish? She's super sweet. She seemed a bit taken with her dashing fox hero. I got her number for you." Judy's tone was a bit teasing. Instead of brightening up, like she had figured, Nick's expression didn't change much at all.

"I don't think I'll be needing that," he said flatly.

"What?" Judy looked confused. "You can't say you didn't think she was pretty. She's so nice, too! I talked to her for half an hour."

"I'm not," Nick began haltingly, "I'm not looking for a girlfriend. This? What we're doing? It's more important." Nick took two fingers and gestured between him and her. Judy's ears started to heat up a little. "You and I have the highest rate of solved cases in our precinct. We're practically heroes! We're breaking new ground and inspiring a new generation of animals to think outside of the box. ...I don't have time for a girlfriend."

"Nick," Judy's voice was a mix of disappointed and amazed, "that doesn't mean you can't be happy..."

"Do you think I'm not happy?" Nick snapped back.

"Well it sure doesn't sound like it right now," Judy said with a weak smile, her chiding tone trying to bring back his usual levity. Nick took a breath to try to calm himself as he saw the concern in Judy's face.

"Okay look, the way I see it, this goes two ways," Nick began, gesturing with his hands out. "One, she and I hit it off. She's great, she's perfect for me. But I can't give her the attention she deserves because I'm working long hours at work on some important cases, spending much more of my day with another girl than with her. Eventually, she breaks up with me because she's feeling snubbed. Two, we also hit it off. Maybe even too well! I start giving her more attention than my job and my performance starts to slip. I start to drag you down; make us both look bad. Pretty soon, you want a new partner."

"Nick..." Judy looked blindsided that he had given this so much thought. "Well, at least in both of those scenarios you know you're good enough for the girl..." She gave a small laugh.

"Judy," Nick said suddenly. She blinked, as he rarely ever used her first name. "I've never been happier than right now. Getting the bad guys, having a sense of pride in my life. Being on the up and up. When my mother calls every week, I don't have to try to squirm out some half-truths of what I've been doing to make a living. I talk to her for an hour each time now instead of a few minutes. I feel like she's proud of me, _finally_. For so long I was used to hearing masked disappointment in her voice. I don't want to risk any of what I have going now for some fetching vixen."

"If that's how you feel, Nick," Judy nodded seriously, "I respect your decision and your views."

"Okay, good, now," Nick said, eager to change the subject, "how quickly did I peel all of your siblings off me this time? I feel like I did a bit better than last time."

Judy chuckled lightly as she saw the skyline of Zootopia start to come into view.

* * *

-Mezzo Park-

A few days later, Nick's tone still weighed on Judy's mind, drowning out her iPawed as she took her morning jog. She found herself in Mezzo Park, taking her usual route. She was a bit surprised at herself for forgetting that she wanted to take a different path to avoid having to see Vivian as she was running.

Maybe she wouldn't be out this morning, Judy thought to herself, even though she started to think that one of her orange smoothies sounded pretty good. Vivian was out after all, and Judy couldn't help from seeing her. The young-looking, blue-eyed vixen, about Judy's age, waved cheerfully at the jogging gray bunny, who meekly waved back. Judy seemed drawn to her like a moth to a flame; a burning social obligation to talk to her drove her towards her stand.

"Good morning, Officer Hopps!" Vivian smiled at her. "I was thinking it was about time for you to show up! Would you like your usual? No charge today."

"I um," Judy hesitated, "I should probably pay this time." Vivian was already pouring her an orange smoothie.

"Why's that?" Vivian asked curiously. "The least I can do is to energize this bunny for a full day of police work!"

"Well," Judy said, "things didn't go so well with Nick. O-officer Wilde, that is."

"What do you mean?" Vivian blinked. "Is he all right?"

"No! I mean yes! He wouldn't..." Judy stammered, "he wouldn't take your number. I tried to give it to him, really I did. He went off on this long speech about his duty and...it was really unlike him to be so blunt!" Vivian laughed softly.

"Oh, is that all?" She pushed the smoothie forward. "Maybe he's not into vixens, then."

"Oh I'm pretty sure he is," Judy said with her hands on her hips, "given the looks I've seen him give a few. I just can't understand why he'd act this way. You know how charming he is! I thought you'd make a good couple..." Judy started sipping the smoothie before quickly realizing she was getting distracted again and paid for her drink.

"Nothing ventured, nothing lost," Vivian said lightly, putting the money away into her cash drawer. "Maybe he already has a girl in his life, hm?"

"And not tell me?" Judy was incredulous, "I'm pretty sure I'd be the first to know! We're together basically every day." Vivian fought to keep from laughing as she saw her point sail over the bunny's head.

"Yes, imagine that!" Vivian teased. "Keeping such secrets from a friend. How _like_ a fox." Judy hung her head to the side a bit and she put on a wry smile.

"Vivian."

"Well, Officer Wilde or not, I hope you won't skip out on visiting me now and then," Vivian smiled. "Always nice to get to see you."

"Oh, of course!" Judy said, mentally kicking herself for thinking about avoiding her. She wasn't considering Vivian's own feelings or business. "Yes! Your orange smoothies are pretty great." She paused. "Jeez, you're so nice! Agh, you and Nick would just be... gah!" She shook her free hand, her fingers bent in a kind of frustration.

"Have a nice day, Officer Hopps," Vivian laughed.

"Just call me Judy, okay?" Judy smiled back.

"All right then Judy," Vivian winked. "I had a feeling your name wasn't 'Carrots'." Judy laughed nervously.

"Yeah, no it's not... I'm... just gonna go."

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters-

Two months later, Nick heard Judy groaning in exasperation in her cubicle at the ZPD HQ.

"Ugh!"

"What's up, Carrots?" Nick leaned into the cubicle, seeing she was on her phone.

"Oh, nothing, it's just my parents keep texting me about this guy, Jack," Judy sighed. "They have a new consultant for alternative irrigation and pesticide solutions, a rabbit, of course."

"Of course," Nick chuckled. "Well, what's the problem?"

"They just keep going on and on about how great he is, sending me pictures of him working on the farm," Judy said in a slightly annoyed tone. "He's supposed to be coming to Zootopia for a week or so to attend an agricultural convention." Nick crossed his hands behind his back, rocking forward a bit.

"So," he said, "you gonna go meet him?" Judy's jaw hung open slightly in surprise.

"What? No!" She looked shocked at the idea. "First off, the last time my parents tried to get me to do something it was to _not_ follow my dream of being a police officer, and you can see how well that turned out." Nick chuckled.

"True, and I know you don't agree with your folks about everything, but they do know you at least a little, right?" Nick offered. "Maybe you should give him a shot." Judy continued to be surprised.

"I can't believe I'm hearing this from you, of all people!" Judy exclaimed. "After what you said to me in the cruiser... It really put a few things in perspective for me. Why should I give this guy any more than a passing glance?"

"Because we may be partners, but we're not the same people," said Nick. "We don't have the same values, or the same abilities. If anyone could juggle this police work and a social life, I'd wager it'd be you, Carrots." Judy cocked her head a bit. "Listen, do you like the look of the guy at all?"

"I mean, he's a bit cute, I guess," Judy said, and Nick tilted his head at that. "What? Bunnies can call other bunnies cute. But I mean, do you think I should?"

"It's up to you," Nick shrugged. "You're the one that likes trying new things."

Judy looked at her phone, then at Nick.

"Anyway, I have some paperwork to do, catch you later," Nick waved with his default friendly but sly expression, and was gone.

* * *

-Judy's Pangolin Arms Apartment-

Another month had passed. Judy gently shut the door to her apartment. She had just gotten back from her second date with Jack, dinner and a movie. Jack was a very kind black rabbit with white patches near his ear-tips and extremities. He treated Judy with respect and laughed at all of her jokes. He listened to Judy as she went on and on about her escapades with Nick. He had seemed interested, but...

Maybe she spent too much time talking about Nick, Judy thought with a grimace.

Despite her date being very pleasant, she had a blank expression as she dressed down for bed. She got onto her bed, on top of the covers, trying to clear her mind. Judy's thoughts raced but they always seemed to come back to Nick. She could vaguely hear her neighbors bickering as they often did, but it seemed far off. Unable to settle down, she grabbed her phone to text Nick.

[Nick, are you up?] Judy texted him. She turned the phone over in her hands a few times waiting for a response. It came two minutes later, but it felt like an hour to her.

[Barely. You're up late, Carrots. What's going on?] Was the reply.

[I just got back from my date with Jack...] Judy texted.

[Did it go okay?]

[Yeah, he's really sweet. We had a nice time.] Judy texted back.

[All right, so why are you texting me at this time of night? I notice there's none of your usual emoticons. If you had a good time, then...?]

[I just wish you could be feeling like I am right now, Nick.] Judy texted after a minute of fussing over the content of the message. [I feel like I'm...taking something from you by enjoying my time with Jack. Are you sure you won't let me give you Vivian's number?]

[Are you worried that I'm jealous, Carrots? I'm not. Like I told you, I have all I need. You worry way too much. Rest that little rabbit head, OK?] Nick yawned, listening to the dripping in his own leaky apartment in the Rainforest District.

[Okay, okay, sorry to bother you =P]

[There she is. Goodnight, Carrots.]

[Night night.] Judy put the phone back on her desk and rolled over into bed.

* * *

-Mezzo Park-

The next day, after work, Judy found herself walking towards Vivian's stand in Mezzo Park. Judy tapped her paws together idly; she felt a bit anxious. Vivian was busy shutting the cart down for the evening.

"Oh, Officer Judy!" Vivian noticed her, waving. "Been awhile since I saw you in uniform! I was just closing up. Is... everything okay? You look a bit melancholy."

"Hi Vivian," Judy started, "it's just... I met this rabbit, Jack. He's so charming and nice; we've been on a couple of dates together..."

"Wow, sounds... awful," Vivian teased. "I'm guessing you're upset about Officer Wilde, then?"

"Kinda," Judy said. "I really wish he'd give you a try, you know?" Vivian shrugged a little.

"You can't make him want something he doesn't," Vivian said. "I'm guessing you feel since you have a date and he doesn't, you're happier than him?"

"Yeah, I feel like he's missing out on something important..."

"Well, to me, you don't actually look that happy, Judy," Vivian admitted. "Just remember that you personally can't make everyone happy, even if they're your friends." Judy pressed one of her paws to her cheek in anxiety.

"I just don't know what I should do," she admitted.

"Well, I barely know this boyfriend of yours _or_ Officer Wilde, so I'm afraid I can't help that much," Vivian said apologetically, "but you're a smart bunny, I'm sure you'll work it out."

"Hope so," Judy said distantly. "See you tomorrow, Vivian."

"Try not to let it worry you so much, Judy," Vivian said. "If you're in two relationships right now that aren't in conflict with one another, what's the problem?" Judy looked back over her shoulder as she heard this, internalizing it.

"Gotcha. See you."

* * *

-The Big Donut, Eastern Sahara Square Branch-

Judy placed down a tall coffee and a blueberry muffin next to Nick and sat down with him at the table. They had some early morning traffic rounds to make, and had stopped for a bite to eat. It had been three weeks since Judy talked to Vivian.

"Ah, you know me too well, my dear," Nick rubbed his paws together, taking a bite of the muffin. "So, you haven't told me much about Jack lately. What's going on with him?" Judy took a sip of her own coffee before responding.

"Oh, I broke things off with him," Judy said evenly. Nick blinked.

"What, why?" he asked. "Did anything bad happen?"

"Nope, nothing bad. He was a perfect gentleman about it, too," Judy took another sip.

"So, you just dumped him for no reason, then," Nick actually looked a bit disappointed in her.

"Not for no reason," Judy continued, "there's another guy in my life, that's why." She smiled faintly, her eyes wandering away from Nick.

"Oh, and who's _this_ fellow?" Nick put his arm on the table, his tone a bit gruff, surprised at Judy's sudden actions.

"He's only someone I've spent the last three years around, a guy who can finish most of my sentences, someone who I have in-jokes and pet names with, a guy who I've been through _so_ many crazy adventures with. He's been with me through my most trying times, and he's _never_ truly given up on me." Judy returned her gaze to Nick, smiling at him as realization dawned over him, his eyes widening and pupils shrinking.

"Judy," Nick blurted, "we... we're not an _item_ or anything. It's not fair for you to judge Jack by the same standards, you barely _know_ the guy, compared to me."

"That's the problem!" Judy said, pounding one of her fists on the table. "I've spent the greatest times of my life with you! I've been by your hospital bed, and you mine. We've met each others families. I don't know of any prey/predator relationships, but how many people have thought we _were_ a couple?"

"About one hundred and forty... seven? By my last count, anyway," Nick quipped sardonically.

"Are you including Clawhauser in that?" Judy added.

"Well he's the one that thinks we're 'kinda married'."

"Exactly!" Judy giggled. "So, is it all those people that are wrong, or is it us?"

"Carrots..." Nick trailed off, looking off to the side. Judy put her hand on Nick's arm.

"I don't want to spend another several years building up a relationship that _might_ go well when I have a perfectly good one right here, with you," Judy tried to catch Nick's gaze, but he was still looking away.

"I..." Nick started, "I don't really want anything to change between us. Who knows what would happen if we became anything more than partners? You would put that in jeopardy for what, just to be a little closer with a fox that's almost ten years older than you?" Judy reached over to turn Nicks head so he would look at her.

"Nick, I think we should get an apartment together."

" _Judy!?_ " Nick's voice cracked, making the goat barista flinch. "That's the exact opposite of nothing changing between us!"

"Well, if you don't want to think about it from an _emotional_ standpoint," Judy smirked, "I have a tiny apartment that I can barely turn around in, and I'm a _bunny_! Also, when I'm on the phone with you, I can barely hear you over the dripping in your apartment. We both deserve better. With our combined income we could probably get a pretty cozy place. Two bedrooms, of course."

"T-The..." Nick stammered, "the dripping helps me sleep. I'm used to it."

"Nick," Judy looked at him tenderly, "what are you so scared of?" There was a rather long pause as Nick's eyes and nose pointed at the table. Judy kept her hand on Nick's arm. She gave it one little pet.

"Doing something that would hurt 'us'," Nick said softly. "Living together... it would change how we felt, wouldn't it? If it doesn't work out, then what? We keep living together as tensions rise? It strains our job and the friendship we used to have? What we have now, it's... the best thing to ever happen to me..." Judy gave one of Nick's cheeks a single stroke.

"Neither of us got this far by giving in," Judy said warmly. "We believe in each other. Our partnership, it's... I think you're worth it, Nick; you're _worth_ the risk to me." Nick gave a shaky sigh.

"You've always been a bit reckless." His head was tilted down, but his eyes met hers.

"So...?" Judy prodded.

"Well," Nick said, abruptly regaining his usual mood, "if we were to live together, I won't be held responsible if you see a little more of a fox than those delicate bunny eyes might like."

"I think I can manage," Judy shot back impishly.

* * *

-Aardvark Rise-

Judy was curled up on Nick's lap on the first evening of them being in their new, modestly-sized apartment together. It had two bedrooms, a bathroom, a cooking/living space complete with a couch; everything they could need. Except heat, that was, as that was going to be turned on the following day. Judy was typing into her phone, her head against Nick's chest.

"I hope you're not letting everyone know immediately," Nick said. "I know our folks are nice and all, but a predator and prey, living together? That's probably going to bristle some fur..."

"You worry too much," Judy smirked, tilting her head up.

"Also, couldn't we have waited to move in until they got the heat on? It's freezing."

"You also complain too much," Judy noted, her voice carrying a bit of mirth. She returned her attention to her phone.

"You know, bunny," Nick said slyly, "I don't think I've ever seen you so content. It's adorable."

"Well it _is_ cold and you are fluffy," Judy said playfully, "but if you keep up that tone you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight." Nick scoffed.

"Ha, how do you suppose you're going to make me?" Nick asked. "We both have separate beds."

"Well, if I don't move from your lap, how can a nice gentlefox like yourself bear to move me from my warm foxy blanket?" Judy grinned devilishly.

"Oh, you'd like to test that, would you?" Nick's voice was playfully challenging.

"I would," Judy grinned widely, then suddenly lunged up and touched her nose to his briefly. Nick was silent afterwards. Judy continued using her phone, satisfied. Nick gave a small sigh.

"It's almost surreal that I have you in my lap right now," Nick scratched at his ear, "we've never even been on any dates."

"We've spent tons of our off-duty free time together, Nick," Judy said. "All that? Retroactively dates."

"Uh?" Nick grunted. "How devious. Well, you've hustled me again, my sly bunny."

"Mhm," Judy nodded cheerfully in affirmation, " _Your_ sly bunny."

Nick felt his ears get hot despite the chill of the apartment. Judy turned herself around and snuggled into Nick's chest and he cautiously allowed himself to bring an arm around her.

"Mm. My dumb fox," Judy yawned cozily.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all, he thought.


	6. Partners Tested

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment 6:00 AM-

Nick awoke to a sweet smell. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he headed from his room into the living/dining area of the new apartment he and Judy shared. He tried to hold back a wide grin as he caught sight of Judy in her nightshirt; she was fixing pancakes.

"Well!" Nick remarked. "A free continental breakfast, huh? I gotta say, I'm liking this new living arrangement of ours more and more every day."

"Har har," Judy rolled her eyes. "Maybe if you woke up before me for a change, _you_ could fix breakfast instead."

"Those wouldn't happen to be _blueberry_ pancakes, would they...?" Nick was hopeful.

"They might have been," Judy started, "had _someone_ not eaten the rest of them last night."

"Oh, how could you, Carrots," Nick feigned hurt in his voice, "you know I love blueberries." After she didn't respond, he added: "Seriously though, you should probably hide them from me or something." Judy laughed lightly and set them both out a small stack of pancakes.

"Mm, delicious," Nick complimented as he dug in.

"Thanks," Judy said. "You see? Things haven't changed too much between us, have they? We still shared like half of all our meals before. All we do now is live together."

"I guess so, Nick agreed, "but living together does have a few perks to it, I suppose. Like getting to see you in your nightshirt." Judy's jaw dropped slightly at his audacity, though she didn't look displeased. Her eyebrows furrowed a bit.

"Nick."

"What, can I not say that?" Nick teased. "I think you're a rather aesthetically pleasing bunny, you know." Through his half-lid, smug eyes, he gazed at her as he shoved another mouthful of pancakes in his muzzle.

"Oh, is _that_ what you're going to go with?" Judy scoffed in mock disbelief, crossing her arms.

"Well, you told me not to call you cute," Nick smirked. There was a brief silence as Judy's eyes broke away from Nick for a few seconds.

"I mean, if you _want_ to call me cute," Judy said coquettishly, poking her forefingers together in hesitation, "I guess it would be okay. If _you_ did it... that is. Occasionally. In private."

"I was going to ask you to pass the syrup," Nick said, "but I think that was syrupy enough for me." Judy grinned maliciously at that.

"You're lucky we have work, mister, or else this syrup would end up in your fur, and you know how hard it is to get out of that!"

* * *

-The Streets of Savanna Central, 8:30 PM-

"Another late shift," Nick sighed as Judy drove up and down the streets. "We're low on animal-power and I suppose we are in the middle of a small crime wave. I guess it's the season for it or something."

"Is that how that works?" Judy asked, to no response. "Hey, after we moved in together, did you notice the guys at the office talking more? About us, I mean?" Nick chuckled softly in reply.

"Carrots, you know they've been talking about us since the first day I shared a chair with you in the briefing room."

"I guess you're right," Judy sighed. "I've just been a bit more anxious about it lately, hoping no one will call us out on being unprofessional or any-" Judy was interrupted by Clawhauser's voice coming over the radio.

"Hopps! Wilde! We've got a report of an altercation at 127th and Plains! The call came from the third floor of the Grazing Homes apartment complex!" Nick nodded, putting on their cruiser's siren. Judy picked up the radio.

"Grazing Homes, third floor! Affirmative! We are en route!"

* * *

-Grazing Homes Apartment Complex, 8:42 PM-

The two showed up shortly on the third floor of the complex, their stun guns drawn. As they looked around, they noticed one of the doors cracked open. A red panda woman, about Judy's height, was watching them. Judy approached her, lowering her weapon.

"Ma'am," Judy said, "were you the one that called in the report?" The red panda nodded softly.

"Yes," she said. "About fifteen minutes ago I heard loud shouting coming from down the hall, room 307 I think. It sounded really violent, a lot of crashing, then everything went very quiet." Nick started advancing on that room while Judy nodded, holding her hand out to the red panda.

"Thank you; please stay in your apartment." The red panda nodded at this and withdrew. Judy joined Nick outside the door to room 307 and held up her weapon. Nick tested the door.

"It's unlocked," he said quietly. Both nodded and threw open the door, their weapons drawn and ready.

"POLICE!" both shouted. There was no response. The apartment was ransacked, furniture overturned and scuffed up, and a motionless tiger man lay near the kitchen, with blood pooled around his neck.

"Ah, God," Nick said in disdain. Judy quickly headed over to the tiger while Nick checked the rest of the rooms. "All clear."

"He's dead," Judy said hollowly, withdrawing her fingers from his neck. She picked up her radio. "Officer Hopps to base. We're going to need a bus and a CSI unit. Possible homicide."

"I'll get you the ambulance," Clawhauser said back over the radio, "but all of our investigation units are deployed. Do you think you and officer Wilde can case the scene?" Nick nodded diagonally in a somewhat unsure way.

"We'll do our best, Clawhauser, Hopps out."

Judy rolled crime scene tape in front of the door to the apartment as Nick started putting placards near claw marks and broken items in the apartment.

"You okay, Judy?" Nick asked suddenly. Judy's expression was subdued.

"What do you want me to say, no?"

"Well, I know this is the first murder scene we've showed up to," Nick prodded, concerned.

"I knew this job wasn't going to be sunshine and rainbows," Judy sighed deeply, "sometimes to make the world a better place we have to make sure those that would make it _worse_ aren't running around in it." Nick nodded in agreement.

"Geez, he lost a lot of blood," Nick shook his head, "from the slash marks on his neck, I guess he bled out."

"Is this not the first dead mammal you've seen, Nick?" Judy asked suddenly.

"Well, no, at least, I don't think so," Nick shrugged. "Sometimes when I was walking down the streets of Zootopia I'd see someone lying motionless. Since I was still 'legally adjacent' then, and, well, a bit of a coward, I would just call the police to tip anonymously. All I could do at the time was leave it to the pros."

"Now, we _are_ the pros," Judy mused.

"Now, we are the pros," Nick agreed flatly. The two donned gloves as they began searching for evidence. Judy was on her hands and knees near the overturned couch, when she made out a black wallet against the dark floor.

"Found a wallet," she said, picking it up, "it's empty, mostly. No cash or credit cards, but here's his driver's license."

"Who's our guy?" Nick asked.

"Jason Snarlane."

"Hm, I hope the perp didn't take his phone," Nick grumbled, "It doesn't look like it's in here or on him. I'll check the bedroom." A few moment's later, Nicks voice come from the bedroom. "Got it! Looks like he kept it in a dresser."

"Should we bag that and wait for the techies to crack into it?" Judy called out, looking at the claw marks near the kitchen.

"Maybe no need," Nick shouted back. "Read me out his birthday."

"April 16th, 1992."

"Ha, I'm in!" Nick exulted.

"Huh! Really?" Judy was a bit impressed.

"Yup, not everyone is clever when coming up with a passcode," Nick chuckled. "Let's see, contacts, recent calls... he received quite a few calls from this one number recently, up to only an hour ago." Nick made a bunch of notes in a pad. "The contact only lists the number as 'Supplies'. Odd. Anything in the pictures? Whoa! No, those are not helpful. Wow, I didn't know lionesses could do that..." Judy gave him an exasperated look.

"Focus, Nick," Judy said dryly while looking for any hairs the perpetrator might have left.

"I think that's all I can find," Nick said, bagging the phone, "Maybe the techies can trace the number that called our tiger for us."

"Our tiger," Judy repeated as the ambulance arrived and a couple of deer came out to wheel the body away. "You know, I really kind of doubt Chief Bogo is going to want us to head up a murder investigation."

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 8:30 AM-

"Hopps," Chief Bogo's commanding voice addressed Judy in his office, "I want you and Wilde to head up this murder investigation."

"Really?" Judy said in surprise, "I mean, with all due respect, we're the smallest cops on the main force. I know some things are just logically overstepping our abilities."

"So?" Bogo retorted. "You've also got the highest rate of closed cases in the precinct."

"That's all petty stuff, you know, the 'fun' kind of mysteries where no one gets hurt," Judy looked pensive.

"Right, including taking down an egomaniac sheep that threatened all of predator-kind. Hopps," Bogo's countenance began to drop, " _Please_ tell me you aren't frightened."

"No!" Judy said indignantly. "I just, well, you know I'm prone to overstepping my bounds, sir. I just wanted you to know I'm ready to fall in line."

"Right, and the line I want you to follow leads to this tiger's murderer," Bogo affirmed.

"Very well, sir!" Judy nodded, straightening up, "I won't let you down."

"Make sure Wilde doesn't either," Bogo grunted. "Oh, I have something for you."

"Sir?"

Bogo walked over and dug a small rectangular box out of a drawer. "I got this especially for you. I kept meaning to give it to you, but there was never a right time. Uh, except for perhaps your third anniversary with us. Maybe that would have been good. Anyway, since you're heading up a dangerous case I thought you might appreciate it." Judy looked into the box.

"A stun gun?" Judy looked skeptical, "I do have one of those."

"A standard issue model, yes," Bogo began, "But I had this one custom ordered for you. It's got a slightly smaller grip that should be more comfortable for your hands, and a bunch of other features I thought looked cool, er... practical. I think you should have every advantage against the criminals in Zootopia, because they're certainly not going to play fair." Judy smiled.

"Well, thank you, chief!" She took the new stun gun and offered up her old one.

"Ah, and here's the manual." He plopped an enormous book that seemed as thick as her waist in her hands. "Hope you like reading."

"Huge fan!" Judy said desperately, buckling under the surprise weight in her hands.

Outside of the office, Judy almost immediately ran into Nick. "Ah, Carrots. I was just about to talk to Chief Buff. The medical examiner finished up and wants to see whoever's going to be taking the case."

"Well, that would be... us," Judy smirked, setting the manual for her new stun gun by her desk.

"What, really?" Nick looked surprised. "Well, OK then! Shall we?"

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department, Autopsy 9:00 AM-

Judy and Nick both tried to stifle grimaces at their first trip into an autopsy room, where Jason Snarlane's body lay on a table. From behind the table came a middle-aged male ferret, who looked delighted to see them.

"Ah, Officers Hopps and Wilde!" the ferret exclaimed, "so nice to finally get to meet you two. Heard so much about you!"

"I wish it could have been under better circumstances," Judy said with a touch of remorse. "Doctor..."

"Ah, Pedshark. Carl Pedshark," the ferret introduced, "and don't worry about it, this is how most of the ZPD meets me, unfortunately. Goes with the job, heh!"

"I suppose you're right," Judy nodded, "what can you tell us, Dr. Pedshark?"

"Well, as I'm sure you both guessed," Dr. Pedshark started, "cause of death was exsanguination from the injuries sustained to the neck."

"Figured that much," Nick wryly interrupted.

"They look like claw wounds," Judy offered, "is that accurate?"

"Yes," Dr. Pedshark nodded. "The size, width, and depth of the wounds are definitely consistent with a predator. Wolf was my first guess." Nick's lips twisted a bit. He felt uncomfortable at predator violence.

"Can we confirm that?" Judy asked curiously. "Were there any bit of the claws broken off in the wound or anything?"

"Nothing so fortunate, I'm afraid," Dr. Pedshark apologized. "The killer was quite good about covering their tracks. Bits of Mr. Snarlane's fur have been removed and bleached, which led me to believe there may have been blood on him from his killer."

"Yeah," Nick agreed, "a tiger definitely wouldn't go down without a fight."

"Precisely," Dr. Pedshark nodded, getting a bit more excited. "And, what would be unique to a tiger that a killer might miss?" Nick and Judy thought about this for a moment.

"Oh!" Judy realized suddenly. "Tiger's claws are usually retracted!"

"Bingo!" Dr. Pedshark hopped up. "The killer did a good job of cleaning Mr. Snarlane's paws, but he missed the actual claws! I was able to recover some blood that wasn't Mr. Snarlane's from them."

"That's quite a mistake," Nick smirked, "so the blood's been run?"

"Currently underway," Dr. Pedshark nodded. "You should know the results in the next two hours or so."

"Hm," Nick mused, "we'll only get a hit if the perp actually has an arrest record and thus has their DNA on file..."

"I guess we'll just have to hope they're a repeat offender, then," Judy said. "Thank you so much for your help, Dr. Pedshark." The ferret nodded.

"Any time," he smiled, "hope to see you again soon. Well, you know what I mean, anyway." Nick and Judy nodded, and headed back to their desks.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 10:23 AM-

One hand on her cheek, Judy scrolled through numerous documents on her computer. She had pulled up everything she could find about the victim, Jason Snarlane. Nick poked his head into her cubicle. "Any luck, Carrots?"

"Not really," Judy admitted. "From all accounts I can't find anything suspicious about this guy, or anything that would make him a target. He worked at a local garage, fixing cars. Do you think we should head down there and ask his employer if he had any enemies?"

"Hm, we could do that," Nick nodded. "I just got back from talking with the tech guys about the number that kept showing up on Mr. Snarlane's phone. They said the phone is a throwaway, not a personal phone, so there's no way to get a name from that, but they _could_ pull up the locations that the calls were made from." Nick slipped a thumb drive into Judy's computer. He brought up a scalable map of Zootopia. Zooming into it, several locations were circled, but most in a specific area. "Most of the calls were made here, from a shipping yard right between Savanna Central and Sahara Square." He pointed to this.

"Huh," Judy looked contemplative, "so, if that was to be his killer, they either worked at this shipping yard or were doing something shady there... we definitely need to check that out." Clawhauser headed up to Judy's cubicle, also holding a thumb drive.

"Hello!" Clawhauser waved cheerfully in greeting. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything. Guess what? We got a hit!" Clawhauser couldn't stop himself from putting the thumb drive into the computer immediately, reaching over both Nick and Judy.

"I'm running out of USB ports here," Judy quipped. She pulled up the files on the drive. A picture of an adult gray wolf male showed up onscreen.

"Harold Fangway," Clawhauser read excitedly. "Prior arrests include three counts of robbery and possession of contraband!"

"So it is a wolf after all. Thanks, Ben," Nick muttered. "So now things are starting to get interesting. Why would a shipping yard hire a known crook, especially a thief?"

"Unless he doesn't actually work there," Judy contemplated, "or it's part of something larger."

"And how on Earth is our tiger involved?" Nick scratched his head. "He worked in a garage clear across town, for crying out loud."

"I think we have to get down to that shipping yard, pronto," Judy said, grabbing some of her gear. Nick nodded. They both turned and still saw Clawhauser standing there. He looked surprised.

"Oh um, am I in the way?" He chuckled apologetically, then his voice turned slightly musical. "Well, um, have fun you two! Bye!"

* * *

-Port Krill Shipping Yard, 11:45 AM-

Judy and Nick approached the office of the manager of the shipyard. Judy stepped up and knocked on the door. "This is the ZPD, we'd like to ask a few questions." A large male walrus stepped out. He looked fairly tired and irritable.

"This better be important," he started, "lunch break is in fifteen."

"It is, sir," Judy assured him, "we just have a few questions. Do you have anyone named Harold Fangway on your payroll?"

"Nope. Never heard of that name," the walrus shook his head.

"I... see," Judy paused, hoping there wasn't indeed something bigger going on like they had worried. Nick held up his forefinger.

"Hopps, show him the picture." Judy nodded, bringing up Fangway's picture on her phone.

"How about this guy?" Nick asked. Unexpectedly, the walrus' demeanor changed and he gave a hearty laugh.

"Aw yeah!" he said, "Earl Schmidt! Hard workin' kid."

"Is he here today?" Judy asked.

"Oh yeah, I can take you to him, assuming he didn't duck out early for lunch," the walrus chuckled. Nick and Judy followed the walrus through long corridors and piles of shipping containers.

"Do you think this 'Earl' is a different guy?" Judy whispered to Nick.

"Probably not," Nick hissed back. "Likely just a fake name so he could be hired at a place like this." The three found the gray wolf unloading a box from a shipping crate.

"Yo, Earl!" The walrus manager called out to him. "Police are hear to talk to you!" At that, the wolf dropped the box and took off into the maze of shipping containers. Judy and Nick shot each other a look and then pursued.

"Stop, police!" Judy shouted after him. The wolf had already turned a corner, leaving the two blindly chasing through gaps between shipping containers.

"I wish just once a perp would stop when they're asked nicely," Nick grumbled as they gave chase.

"This place is a literal maze!" Judy wailed. "How are we ever going to find him before he gets away?" Nick started to sniff the air. A bunch of conflicting scents came at him from all directions, but he did think he caught a scent of wolf. Following his nose, he turned a corner where Judy, not noticing, stayed straight. "Either way, I don't think we should split up, maybe we should head to the entrance to see if he tries to escape that way. ...Nick?" Judy suddenly realized she was alone. "Nick!?"

"This way, Hopps!" Nick called, but his voice seemed to be coming from everywhere as it bounced off the crates. Judy headed in the direction she thought she heard his voice come from, dread creeping upon her. For fifty agonizing seconds Judy looked around with her stun gun drawn, terrified. Her heart felt like it could burst from her chest at any moment. Then, suddenly she heard growling and a scuffle coming from her left. She gasped and headed this way after a small pause. Turning a corner, she found Nick, with the wolf behind him, one arm holding Nick's arms to his sides and the other with his claws held to his neck.

"Nick!" Judy shrieked. Nick looked terrified and somewhat embarrassed that the wolf had gotten the drop on him. "Let him go, Fangway!" The wolf looked somewhat surprised to be called by his real name. Judy had her stun gun trained on him.

"Or what, bunny, you'll shoot your little shock gun at me?" Fangway sneered. "You're just as likely to hit this little fox kit, and then he'd be dead anyway. And it'd hurt the whole time he was dyin'!"

"Let him GO!" Judy shouted, trying to keep her hands steady. Nick seemed like he was trying to break free, but Fangway had a good grip on him.

"Nothin' out of you, fox," Fangway warned. "And I don't think you're in a position to be making demands, little rabbit. How about you drop your gun, then we can talk?" Nicks eyes were wide, silently begging her not to do this. Judy kept her hands steady, hesitating. An intense moment passed where no one moved a muscle. "I SAID, drop the GUN!"

After another excruciating moment, Judy slowly began to put the stun gun on the ground, very meticulously. Nick's heart sped up as his mind raced and tried to psychically scream at her not to comply. He couldn't believe she was acquiescing!

"Yeah, that's right," Fangway smirked, "Nice and slow. Then, how about you kick that stun gun over to me?" Nick tried to find Judy's eyes to make one last appeal to her, but she wouldn't look at him. He could feel Fangway's claws start to press closer to his neck. Gently, carefully, Judy placed her foot on the gun.

"Nick, I am so sorry..." One of Judy's toes twitched.

Suddenly, a piercing, blaring, high-pitched sound started emitting from the gun. Both Nick and Fangway screamed and whined in pain, breaking apart from each other. In the next second, Judy had picked her gun back up and delivered a drop kick to Fangway to knock him away from Nick. The wolf stumbled backward with a grunt. Nick dropped to his knees, his hands over his ears, as the sound got closer. Judy advanced upon Fangway, holding the gun level.

Fangway snarled and attempted to lunge, but Judy holding the gun closer to him caused him so much aural pain that he flinched and stumbled backwards. Judy glared at him, her eyes full of fury. Fangway turned, attempting to run. This was just what Judy had been waiting for. She turned the gun's sonic weapon off, and...

 _CLACK!_

Judy fired the charge from her stun gun and it sank into Fangway's back. Screaming out, he toppled face-first to the floor, convulsing as the charge wracked his body. Judy advanced on him, her face in a line.

"I hope that hurt," she found herself saying, mostly to herself. She took out some appropriately sized handcuffs and cuffed him behind his back. "Harold Fangway, you are under arrest, for, including other things, assaulting a police officer. You have the right to remain silent-" Judy was interrupted by Fangway suddenly turning his head to snap at her with a snarl. Judy gasped and flinched backwards, his teeth clasping down inches from her arm.

"And by that, she means, keep your mouth shut," Nick said darkly, pressing his foot on the wolf's back and fitting a muzzle around his mouth. Fangway collapsed again, growling, but defeated. He was weak enough for Nick to grab him up by his shirt collar. He was not gentle with throwing him into the back of their cruiser.

"Let me ask you something, Hopps," Nick asked, "what good are those enormous bunny ears of yours if that ridiculously painful sound coming from that tricked-out gun didn't even phase you?" Judy reached into her ears and pulled out some globs of wadded-up gauze.

"Sorry, did you say something?" Judy smirked. Nick's jaw dropped; he was gobsmacked.

"You... little... genius," Nick marveled, "how the heck did you know to do that?"

"Well, I did get a little bit of time to read the manual while I was searching for stuff on the tiger," Judy explained, "and knowing how canines hate high-pitched, loud noises, I knew I might have to use that sonic function. After I heard where you two get into that fight, I plugged my ears and hoped for the best."

"So you couldn't even hear him when he was trying to negotiate with you?"

"Barely," Judy admitted. "The sonic weapon was kinda painful for me, even with the gauze, but I knew what I had to do, and steeled myself." Nick gave a strange, sputtering sound. He looked like he might cry, out of either relief or pride or some combination of both, but he held it together. On the drive back it was unusually quiet between the two. Nick knew his screw-up had nearly cost him his life, and expected to be attacked about it by Judy at any time, but it never came.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters 3:13 PM-

"Well, you did it," Chief Bogo smirked proudly, looking at the muzzled Fangway who was sitting in an interrogation room, "enough hair from this wolf was left at the scene of your little altercation for Dr. Pedshark to run. Pretty soon we'll have him dead to rights for the murder of that tiger." Judy's eyes searched the floor, then looked back at Bogo.

"But...?" She asked, sensing a caveat.

"Well, the district attorney always loves a confession, because it makes things easier, for them anyway," Bogo chuckled, "since this is your first big bust of a murder suspect, do you and Wilde want to try interrogating him? You have nothing to really lose, even if you screw up." Nick stepped up next to Judy.

"I have to say, I do love games that I can't lose," he smirked. Judy smiled, feeling some fire in her tummy.

"Yeah, why not?" Judy said, starting to head toward the interrogation room with the case file. "So, you good cop, me bad?" Nick tried to swallow a huge smile.

"Sounds fun to me."

The two went into the interrogation room. Judy plopped the case file dramatically onto the desk as she'd seen in so many police shows she'd watched as a kit. "So! Harold Fangway. Or can we call you Harry?"

"Bite me," Fangway replied.

"Maybe I'll have my partner take you up there," Judy snarked, "his teeth are sharper than mine. So Harry, had to change your name because you couldn't get a job?" Fangway just grit his teeth in annoyance. Judy stepped closer, her hands behind her back. She leaned over, lolling her ears to the side mockingly.

"Listen, buster, we have you," Judy shot at him, "you're going to jail either way, so you might as well talk to us now while you have the chance."

"Eh, so I roughed up your fox friend," Fangway shrugged, "that ain't gonna get much."

"Ooh, no, sorry about that," Nick said soothingly, "you're gonna be going away for murder."

"That's right!" Judy said. "By the way, those are some lovely little slashes on your arms you're sporting. Look pretty deep. Maybe infected? You should get that checked out." Fangway growled in annoyance.

"What can I say? Police brutality, eh?"

"You and I both know you didn't get those from him," Judy nodded her head in Nick's direction. "You got them from that tiger you murdered. Jason Snarlane! We have your DNA, buddy. You're going down."

"Then what's the point of this?" Fangway said, struggling against his restraints. "Why do you want me to tell you if I did it?"

"Probably personal satisfaction, on her part," Nick pretended to muse, "that bunny's kind of a psycho, you know?"

"If you don't tell me _why_ you killed that tiger," Judy smirked dangerously, "I'll make sure everyone on your cell block knows that a little, itty bitty _bunny_ took you down." Fangway processed Judy's slightly deranged look, his eyes shooting over to Nick.

"She'll do it, man," Nick shrugged standoffishly, "I can't imagine that'd make you too many friends. A laughingstock, maybe."

"Okay, fine," Fangway groaned. "It was about money. Jason and me, we had an arrangement. I would help get him illegal car parts so he could modify cars for street races, and then I'd sell 'em. We'd split the money. But lately, he had started getting into gambling at Sahara Square. Buying lioness escorts and the like. He changed our profit margins, and then I found out he somehow got into my one of my own accounts and drained the money I was going to use to buy our next stockpile of items."

"So you killed him," Nick said.

"After I robbed his place of what he owed me. I wasn't gonna, but I saw that smug tiger sitting there in his chair without a care in the world and I knew I had to pay him back for making me look like an idiot in front of my contacts at the last shipyard I worked at. I didn't have the money to pay, because that lug had drained it all to pay for his gambling addiction! I had to change my name, _again_ , to get a hit off me."

"Well, that's a pretty good story," Judy stood up, stretching. "We'll see how a judge likes it." Fangway snarled at her, but she didn't even flinch this time. She left the room, with Nick lagging behind.

"Hey," Fangway called to Nick, "no disrespect... one canine to another, it was a tense situation there. But she isn't really gonna tell 'em _she_ took me down, is she?"

Nick just shrugged the most devil-may-care expression he could muster.

Bogo had a smug smile on his face as the two came out of the room. "Well that was entertaining, and moderately well-done for a couple of interrogation rookies."

"Yes!" Judy pumped her fist, then cheerfully offered it to Nick, who bumped it with his own. "That was kind of invigorating!"

"Well, they won't all be like that," Bogo warned. "You two kits take some time off now, you deserve it."

* * *

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment 10:47 PM-

Nick sat alone in his bedroom, atop his bed. He couldn't sleep. He kept reflecting on the action that had happened at the shipyard, and his mistake that nearly cost him his life. Judy's quick thinking had been there for him when he needed it most. He felt emotions welling up in his chest and gave a shaky sigh. He was glad he had the next day off. His ear perked and he turned to his door as he heard it very quietly open, and a bunny's head peek through.

"Hey Nick," Judy smiled gently, "I had a feeling you'd still be up." She came over and sat next to him on the bed, with no objection from Nick. He didn't look at her immediately. "Do you wanna talk at all?"

"I screwed up, Judy," Nick admitted, "I should never have broken away from you. I thought maybe I could cover more ground by going after him a different way. I caught his scent, but I should have known that a wolf's scent is better than a fox's. He was in the entrance of a shipping crate, ready to ambush me."

"It's okay, Nick," Judy said, putting her paw on his leg. "We got him. That's why we're great partners. Whenever one of us falters, the other is there to pick up the slack. You've been there for me many times."

"Yeah, but a mistake this big," Nick said, his voice shuddering, "I could have died. I could have left this mortal coil, and not only would it have deprived the world of a dashing fox, I... I don't know if I could have lived with myself, even in the afterlife, knowing I'd put you through that pain, and it being _my_ fault..." Despite his best efforts to prevent himself, Judy saw hot tears welling in his eyes and leaking out. Judy just gave a small smile, rubbing his leg gently. "Foxes, so emotional, huh...?"

"A bit," Judy teased. "All we can do is learn from our mistakes, Nick. I have, you have. We'll just be more careful next time. We got lucky; we seem to get lucky all the time. But with that luck we're learning valuable lessons, too. Someday we'll have to apply everything we know. We'll be the best cops out there." Nick stopped crying, giving a sigh.

"Thanks, Judy," he said, "I feel a little better now. See you in the morning."

"I'm sure you will," Judy said quietly, "but I'm not going anywhere tonight. My partner still needs me." She started crawling under Nick's bed covers.

"Y-you sure, Carrots?" Nick blinked. Judy pat the space next to her.

"Just think of me as a slightly large, breathing teddy bear," Judy smiled, "maybe I can help you get to sleep."

"Or, I could be self-conscious about crushing you during my sleep and not sleep a wink," Nick said.

"One way to find out!" Judy chirped. "Either way we win, huh? We have the day off tomorrow. We should go somewhere nice to eat."

Judy's relaxed attitude finally started to remove his tensions, and he slid into bed next to her. Predictably, she glomped onto him right away, snuggling into his fur. Nick concentrated on her warmth and soft breaths, but not for long, as he indeed drifted off to sleep in short order, where he remained for the rest of the night.

* * *

-Aardvark Rise Apartments Rooftop, 11:40 PM, New Year's Eve-

"Well, we made it another year together!" Judy said jubilantly, sipping from a glass of champagne. She looked charming to Nick in a simple white dress, and he had on a suit and tie, of course. "The ZPD New Year's Eve Party was pretty nice."

"Yet we still cut away from it before midnight, huh?" Nick smirked at her, having his own sip. The two were alone on the roof as fireworks burst seemingly all around them from various other parties.

"I just wanted some time alone with my partner," Judy giggled. "We're the coolest cops in the ZPD after all. This whole party should have been for us!"

"Hm, was it a good thing I drove home for once, Carrots?" Nick chuckled. "You seem a little buzzed." Judy scoffed.

"Maybe only a tiny bit." She cozied up to his side, taking his free hand in hers. Nick didn't know why, but every time she made physical contact with him, he felt a little bit anxious. Was it fear he felt, or a bit of excitement? Whatever it was, he was growing to enjoy it.

"Maybe we shouldn't get too mushy right now," Nick warned, but didn't let go of her hand, "you know, we might say something that we regret after the champagne wears off."

"Aw," Judy chuckled, "like what? Where would you draw the line?"

"Oh I don't know, something like," Nick started, then he started to speak rapidly and matter-of-factly, "I love you, Judy Hopps, I'm so thankful every day that you're in my life, aaaand I hope to God I don't have to face any of the rest of the years of my life without you." Judy's face lit up. It felt extremely hot and she knew it wasn't just from the champagne. She tried to regain her composure and close her amazed, beaming mouth.

"Oh, you think that would be going too far, huh?" She joked.

"Maybe just a little," Nick nodded.

"Well then, Nicholas Wilde," Judy began, and Nick gulped, "I look forward to many more adventurous years with you as my partner. I'm not going anywhere, and I know you won't either. We're the perfect partners." Nick sighed, but he didn't know if he was relieved or disappointed that she kept herself from getting all gooey on him. He was shattered from those thoughts, though, when Judy leaned up and tenderly kissed his cheek. Oh right, he thought. She was more of a physical person.

"To us?" Judy offered her glass. Nick nodded, gently clinking it.

"To us."

As the clock struck twelve, they enjoyed the numerous colorful fireworks exploding around them.

"Happy New Year, my dumb fox."

"Always with you, my dumb bunny."


	7. Plagued Partners

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 8:00 AM-

"All right, you know the drill, everyone! Sit down and shut it!" Chief Bogo stepped up to the front of the briefing room. "We have one new recruit with us this morning. Our _second_ bunny officer, Karen Skippel." Stomping and hooting shook the room as Chief Bogo indicated a white, blue-eyed arctic hare towards the back of the room, who winced slightly at the calling out. Judy Hopps stood straight up on her chair, turning towards her and applauding wildly, while Nick Wilde, who was sitting next to Judy in the same chair, smirked and offered warm applause. "That's enough! Skippel comes to us from the Mammal Inclusion Initiative in Tundratown. She's going to be our newest tech expert, and will be upgrading our computers for the next week. You will give up your station to her when requested. Moving on, assignments..."

After the morning briefing, Judy quickly leapt out of her chair and headed over to the new rabbit face in the room. Her bright smile of pride that a fellow rabbit had made it into their precinct was unmistakable.

"Officer Skippel!" Judy waved, "I had heard there was a new bunny in town. So nice to meet you!" Skippel regarded Judy with a somewhat blank expression.

"Officer Hopps."

"I uh, see you've heard of me," Juddy giggled nervously.

"You cast a long shadow, Officer Hopps," Skippel said. "All through my training, even though the MII had drafted me for my technical expertise, I kept hearing how _you_ did things, how _you_ completed all of the training drills, even the physical ones. I'm not that physically strong; it was pretty hard for me, and they eventually just passed me on doing what I was going to be expected to do. I still don't know how you did it."

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry," Judy apologized awkwardly. Nick headed over to the two rabbits and ended up at Judy's side.

"Don't apologize, Hopps," Nick said, "so you're a tough act to follow. Everyone has to get by on their own merits."

"You must be Officer Wilde," Skippel said evenly, looking up to eye him.

"I don't blame you if you're unimpressed," Nick smirked, "but we're all on the same side here, so maybe we can try to get along, hm?" Skippel really didn't have a reply to that, and just looked between the two.

"Uh, hey," she began, "I don't suppose you've heard of that sickness that's recently appeared, Officer Wilde?"

"Sickness?" Nick repeated.

"I think something unusual is going on," Skippel said, "I sometimes frequent message boards that report on strange things going on in Zootopia. This sickness, it's like, only affecting canines. It has a really high fatality rate, but there's only a handful of cases, and the infected aren't connected to each other in any way. That's not how viruses work. ...Anyway, I only mentioned it because you're a canine, just wondered if you knew." Nick shrugged and put on a perplexed look.

Judy looked more worried. "That's awful," Judy said, "can we do anything about it?" Skippel shrugged.

"The only viruses I can do anything about are on computers. Speaking of, do you mind if I start with yours this morning?"

"No, go right ahead," Judy said. Skippel nodded and headed out of the briefing room and towards Judy's desk.

"Guess that means we're gonna be cubicle buddies today, Hopps," Nick smirked, then he leaned in and whispered, "don't sit on my lap this time, please. Grizzoli almost caught us last time you pulled that."

"Hehe, sorry," Judy smiled, "I was feeling a bit silly that day."

"That seems to be a common theme among rabbits," Nick chuckled. "There's quite a chip on the shoulder of that arctic bunny."

"Oh, don't be too hard on her for that," Judy said with her arms open, "I can understand how constantly being compared to me could be annoying and discouraging."

"Right, because you're so awesome," Nick smirked broadly.

"That's not what I mean!" Judy laughed. "Anyway, let's get to your cubicle. I'm sure you've been letting the paperwork pile up again."

"Officer, you wound me."

* * *

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment, 5:00 PM-

Two weeks later, Judy sat cross-legged on the couch of the apartment she and Nick shared. She grabbed the TV remote and flipped on the news.

"Tonight on ZNN, a special report," one of the anchors, Peter Moosebridge, began, "a dozen more cases of the mysterious Canine Virus have appeared. Canines all over Zootopia are being asked to limit their contact with other canines, and take extra precautions, such as extra paw-washing and medical masks. We go now to our chief medical correspondent, Longinus Tremor, for more details. Longinus?" Judy shut the TV back off. Nick happened by the couch.

"Nick," Judy crawled over to the edge of the couch and put her paws on the armrest, "are you _sure_ you're feeling okay?"

"Never better, Fluff," Nick said, scritching under her chin a couple of times affectionately, "just like the last dozen times you asked."

"I'm just so worried about this," Judy said, collapsing back into the couch, "Skippel might be right, there's something strange about the virus. It doesn't seem very... viral. It's not spreading, it just seems to be showing up randomly."

"So they can't figure out the virus' infection vector," Nick said, plopping down on the couch next to Judy, "I won't say I'm not a bit scared. But it's not _too_ unusual for a virus to only affect one kind of animal. Some of them are just particular like that."

"There's gotta be something we can do," Judy's foot twitched in anxiety, "maybe I can see if Skippel has heard anything else about-" Nick placed his forefinger on her mouth to silence her.

"What you should do is chill out," Nick teased, "last I checked, they don't make handcuffs small enough to arrest viruses." He softly placed a hand on her chest. "Your heart is going a mile a minute, Carrots. You really need to relax. All this extra anxiety isn't going to do you any good."

"Okay, okay," Judy said, climbing into his lap.

Nick chuckled warmly. "Oh, is this what we're doing?"

"If you want me to relax, then yes."

"Okay," Nick said, "don't forget to buckle up, then." Judy smiled happily, bringing Nick's red fluffy tail over her lap. Nick put his arms back over the head of the couch and let Judy relax in quiet. Five minutes later, he was stirred by Judy's voice, and noticed both of his arms were around her back.

"Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"You remember that vixen, Vivian?" Judy asked.

"Ah, your robbery-victim-turned-friend you tried to hook me up with."

"That's the one," Judy giggled. "I've been going to see her every day at her fruit stand in Mezzo Park. She's still fine, too. I... feel a little better now, but I don't know if I can fully relax. You're right though, I'd feel a lot better if this virus was something I could beat up."

"I get you," Nick said, trying to soothe her further by rubbing her back, "but we can't really do anything at the moment, so we shouldn't be afraid of something that might never happen."

"Okay..."

"Personally, I just think all the canines on the unit, myself included, look ridiculous with those medical masks on. How are we supposed to intimidate the perps like that?"

Judy rolled her eyes, continuing to relax with Nick.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 5:08 PM- 

It was mostly business as usual at the ZPD over the next couple of weeks. The canines on the force wore their medical masks as a precaution and it was tense every time one of them coughed or sneezed, but Judy was trying her best not to worry too much. She did agree with Nick, however, he looked rather silly in his medical mask. Judy showed up at Nick's cubicle.

"You want to go get some dinner tonight, Nick?" Judy asked. Nick shrugged.

"We should probably just order a pizza or something, Fluff. I don't wanna freak anyone out." Judy frowned at this. She knew it might be a better idea for them if they didn't go out, but the threat of the disease was still starting to weigh on their enjoyment of life. From further off, downstairs, Officer Delgato pointed at one of the TVs used to display various news channels.

"Hey, something weird's happening on ZNN. It's like it's trying to cut out...?"

"What do you mean?" Chief Bogo's voice boomed from a higher floor, then he shouted out, "Skippel! Change all the video feeds to ZNN!" She did so. The picture was flickering and jumping.

"The heck...?" Judy observed, "Looks like another feed is trying to cut in..."

"I think ZNN is being hacked," Skippel called out. "Someone is trying to superimpose their video feed onto the channel!"

"Can you stop it? Or figure out from where?" Bogo shouted.

"Not without access to ZNN's network!" Skippel was frantically opening programs on her computer.

"Well get access, then!" Bogo's tone was quite frustrated.

"It, it doesn't work like that!" Skippel said, panicky, as the feed was finally taken over. The video had a vaguely feline figure cloaked in shadow. It was a few moments before the figure started moving.

"Whaaat is this...?" Nick's eyes were wide, his tone cautious.

"Hello, citizens of Zootopia," a distorted female voice came over the feed. "I'm disappointed in our scientists and doctors. I thought by now someone would have figured out what was going on here in this city. By that, I mean all the dogs dropping dead." Shocked murmuring immediately erupted.

"Quiet!" Bogo yelled.

"Terribly effective, hasn't it been?" The figure continued to speak. "This little virus of my design. 75% fatality rate. Perhaps you think you're safe from it because the cases have been few. Don't worry, little degenerate mutts. You'll get your turn at death's door. I'm continually making adjustments to it. In time, all of you slavering, whining imbeciles will be silent forever, and I'll finally have the city I want. One without canines."

At this, the video feed cut out and it returned to ZNN, who seemed aware of what had just happened by the intense looks on their faces, but were not commenting on it just yet. Bogo bellowed out from the top floor of the ZPD: "Everyone who can hear my voice! Briefing room, NOW!" Nick and Judy both immediately headed that way.

"What on Earth is going on?" Judy's voice was trembling as the two ran. "A genocidal terrorist with a biological weapon?"

"And I thought Bellwether was twisted," Nick looked irritated even from behind his mask. "This chick seems like she's a villain from a Saturday morning cartoon show." Several officers appeared in the briefing room along with Nick and Judy. A mixed range of emotions were on display: fear, anger, disgust. Bogo stormed to the head of the room.

"So, we have the very real probability of a terrorist using biological weapons against the canines of Zootopia," Bogo said gruffly. "Skippel!" The white rabbit flinched at the intense voice hitting her like a fist. "Can you tell us anything?"

"I-I'm not sure, Chief," Skippel stammered, "I can't source the video, all I can do is analyze it. I have my computer working on that now. She's almost definitely feline, but... so many female felines have a similar sillohuette. She could be anything, tigress, cheetah, cougar, lioness... the list goes on!"

"All right, everyone," Bogo started, "we will be extra vigilant of suspicious female feline activity. If any criminals you encounter appear to be female felines, our canine forces should NOT engage. Call for non-canine backup. We don't know how this terrorist is deploying the virus. Use extreme caution. Now. Does anyone know how we might be able to narrow down our list of suspects from 'all female felines in Zootopia'?" Judy raised her hand.

"I might have an idea or two, sir," Judy said. "It'll require looking through some databases and news articles."

"All right, Hopps," Bogo grunted, "Skippel! You team up with Hopps and Wilde and give them some of your technical expertise. The rest of the technical team will finish analyzing the video. You three are pulling a double tonight." All three of them nodded with "yes, sir". "Everyone else, make sure to try to keep the people from panicking. This terrorist is trying to drum up fear; she may be overplaying her hand. We must be vigilant, but not give into panic. This is what she wants. Dismissed!" The officers scattered, and Skippel made her way over to Judy and Nick.

"I guess we'll be ordering a pizza after all, Carrots," Nick chuckled, "only delivered here."

Judy looked incredulous. "Nick, how can you joke at a time like this?"

"Coping mechanism," Nick grumbled. Skippel looked panicked.

"This is worse than even I imagined, and I'm a bit of a paranoid bunny," Skippel admitted. "Um, by the way, is it normal to feel like you're having a heart attack when Bogo is yelling at you?"

"Yeah, you'll have to get used to that," Judy said with a nervous laugh. "Anyway, there's little time to waste, let's go over to your cubicle."

"Well, at least one good thing is coming of this," Nick said as they headed over.

"What are you talking about?" Judy asked in slight exasperation.

"Now you have someone you can punch."

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 6:30 PM-

"Sheesh," Officer Skippel started, taking a small bite of pizza, "what an assignment to be saddled with on my second month. I was expecting a hacker might try to get into the ZPD network, for fun or something. Not a crazed murderer using disease as a weapon." She looked rather stressed out as she was eating.

"Well, I'm sure you remember what Hopps' first case was," Nick chuckled, also having a slice of pizza. "What gives? I thought you bunnies were supposed to be lucky. But no, your first cases attract all the real psychos."

"I can't argue with you there, since I'm still working with one I met on that case," Judy smirked impishly, wiping her paws and face off from her dinner, but then her expression grew serious, "but we gotta get on this. Ah..." Judy looked a bit lost at Skippel's three-monitor set up with several programs running that she couldn't even begin to guess at their function. "I will leave the computering to you, Officer Skippel."

"Please, just call me Skippel, or Skip, or Karen, or something," Skippel cleaned off her hands as well, leaving the rest of the pizza, her appetite fleeing from her, "'Officer Skippel' has so many syllables that if you say it too much more we'll be here all night."

"Hm, I like Skip," Nick smirked.

"Anyway, Hopps, you said you had some ideas in the briefing?" Skippel asked expectantly.

"Judy's fine, if we're gonna be on a first name basis," Judy smiled, "um, I'm not sure if you can do this, but can you compile a database of all female feline Zootopians that work in either medical or scientific fields?"

"Oh, of course," Skippel nodded, starting to pull from a database program, "yeah, it would make sense if she was in medicine or science. That is, unless she has a team. But, uh, I'd hope someone working with such an intensely hateful motive would be working alone."

Nick grimaced from behind his mask he'd just placed back on. "You know I'd like to think so too, but I've known some canine-haters in my time, just beyond predator prejudice. We know Bellwether had a team."

"Hold on, no need to get all dire here," Judy tried to rein back in the conversation, "Bellwether was in a position of political power. Maybe it took this feline so long to make the video because that wasn't her area of expertise."

"Could be," Skippel considered. "Uh, there are dozens on dozens of female feline doctors and scientists on all specifications. Go them, I guess. Can we be more specific?"

"Uh, let's rule out ones that aren't in a field that has anything to do with microbiology?" Judy seemed unsure. Skippel added a few more conditions to her search.

"Still a couple dozen," Skippel said, "let me get even more specific... a geneticist. ...Okay whoops, now there aren't any."

"Hold on a second," Nick said, getting an idea, "Skip, can you back up this search chronologically to include former employees? Like, any felines that may have previously been a geneticist?"

"Oh, sure," Skippel nodded, "hmm, nothing one month back, or two. Whoa, okay, three months back we have _one_ hit." Both Judy and Nick leaned their heads in suddenly, on either side of Skippel, making her flinch nervously. "It's spotted feline, looks like a jaguar. Her name is Serena Prowlmore. She worked at the Zootopia Center for Genetic Research."

"Okay okay okay," Judy said excitedly, "now can you find any news articles from three months ago about her release anywhere online?"

"I'll look, but I doubt anything as specific as a geneticist getting fired would have made any major news outlets," Skippel did a few searches, "there's one article on her departure online, but it's extremely vague; doesn't even say if she left voluntarily or not."

"We'll have to head down to the ZCGR first thing tomorrow," Judy said. "Karen, do you want to come with?"

"Uhhh," Skippel hesitated, "I have no real field training or experience; I doubt I'd be much help. I can do the paperwork and let Chief Bogo know what we've found."

"Okay, if you're sure," Judy nodded.

"Before we close up shop here," Nick said, "let's keep digging on this Serena Prowlmore and see if we can find anything. We are getting paid for a double, after all." Judy nodded in agreement, and Skippel started a bit as the duo's faces closed in on hers again, staring intently at her computer screens.

* * *

-Zootopia Center for Genetic Research, 9:00 AM-

Nick and Judy entered the facility, briskly walking towards the receptionist, who was a female chinchilla.

"Hello, officers," she greeted, "what can I do for you today?"

"Officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, ZPD," Judy greeted, "We'd like to speak to the head of this establishment. Please, it's for a rather urgent investigation."

"Mr. Ratzenberg? Certainly, one moment," the chinchilla buzzed him on their intercom. "All right, he can see you now. Head up to the top floor of the elevator and follow the signs."

"Thank you," Judy said, and the two entered the elevator.

"Oh my gosh," Nick said with slight excitement, "she was a chinchilla. Did you _see_ how soft her fur looked?" Judy shot him an exasperated look.

"Really, Nick? This again?" Judy sighed. "What is it with you? It's a good thing she wasn't close enough for you to touch."

"What can I say?" Nick shrugged. "I have a weakness for fluff."

"Is _that_ how I got that nickname?" Judy wondered aloud as the elevator arrived at the top floor. The two headed into Mr. Ratzenberg's office. Ratzenberg was inside, seated at a small desk on top of a larger desk. He was a male white rat with red eyes. Judy took in how small he was compared to her, even though he was about twice the size of a typical mouse. He got up and walked around to the front of the smaller desk.

"Hello, officers Hopps and Wilde," he greeted in a soft, gravely voice, "Reginald Ratzenberg. What can I do for you?" He had both paws together in front of him, looking immaculate in a dark gray suit. He had a rather earnest smile.

"We're here inquiring about Serena Prowlmore," Judy said. "Can you tell us anything about her?" Ratzenberg's face furrowed a bit, his smile weakening.

"I'm afraid Ms. Prowlmore no longer works for us," he explained.

"We're aware of that," Nick said, "can you tell us why?"

Ratzenberg appeared to consider this. "Is she in some sort of trouble?"

"We... don't know," Judy admitted, "we were hoping you could tell us. Please sir, this is for a very, very important investigation."

"All right," Ratzenberg sighed, "but please, try to keep this all as clandestine as possible." The two officers nodded. "Serena Prowlmore was one of our most promising geneticists. A very talented jaguar. She made great strides in sequencing genomes and cataloging the properties of bacteria and viruses. But her co-workers mentioned that she was a bit... off. We occasionally caught her doing undeclared work or experiments, modifying viruses and bacteria usually. I didn't want to fire her immediately, because she had been so helpful to us, but after several offenses, I'm afraid I had no choice. What she was doing was unethical."

"Anything specific about those experiments that you can tell us?" Nick asked. "Uh, in layman's terms?"

"A lot of varied things," Ratzenberg said, a hand to his chin, "trying to adjust the properties of viruses so they would live longer, become more virulent, or have more severe symptoms." Nick and Judy shared a quick glance of terror while he wasn't looking.

"So you did finally fire her," Judy prodded.

"Well, she certainly is not working with us any more," Ratzenberg said indignantly, "but... we never actually fired her. She actually vanished; she must have sensed we were about to. And, in what I'm sure is not a coincidence, many expensive pieces of our equipment went missing. We did file a report with the ZPD but I guess it might have been buried?"

"Th-thank you for your help," Judy said anxiously. "We'll be leaving now."

"Sorry I couldn't be of more help," Ratzenberg said, "I've no idea where she is now."

"We'll be in touch, sir," Nick said, "please call us if you have any more details to report."

Judy sighed heavily in the elevator. "So it is her. A mad scientist jaguar with machines that might let her modify a virus. It's a dead end, though. We have to start an animal hunt. Get her name out on the media."

"I don't think Bogo will go for that," Nick said, equally concerned, "all of this is still circumstantial. I mean it's most definitely her, no doubt, but we can't start an animal hunt until we can prove it."

"But while we wait for more clues, more canines die..." Judy twisted her mouth into a forced smile as the elevator opened and they walked past the receptionist. Nick waved at her with a grin, and the chinchilla waved back, slightly confused.

* * *

-Moucey's Department Store, northern Savanna Central Branch, 2:20 PM-

One week later, and no new leads had popped up on the Canine Virus case. A handful of new infections were reported, but nothing came up to lead the ZPD closer to their prime suspect, which they had yet to reveal to the public. With the stress of the case weighing on them, Judy and Nick used their time off to try to forget about work and do things that they enjoyed. This time, it was Judy's turn to pick the locale, and she chose shopping. Judy popped out of the dressing room wearing a sun dress, fitting a straw hat on her head. "How do I look?"

"That's, um, very nice," Nick said, his expression clearly impressed even from behind his medical mask. "Very cute."

"Aw Nick," Judy smiled with slight disappointment, "you've said that about basically everything I've tried on."

"Well, if you'd stop looking so good in those clothes, then I could stop saying it," Nick folded his arms, his ears heating up slightly. Judy giggled pleasantly at the compliment.

"Nice try, but I still have a few more outfits I want to look at," Judy smirked. She retreated back into the dressing room.

"Do all females shop like this?" Nick asked in exasperation. "Will they never stop until they try everything in the store on?"

"Shopping is fun, Nick," Judy grinned. Nick sighed and turned his head slightly. His eyes caught sight of a black jaguar female standing behind a perfume counter. His expression narrowed a bit as animal after animal passed her by without her moving to give them a free perfume sample from a bottle she was holding.

"Uh, Carrots," Nick said warily, putting on his sunglasses in case the jaguar caught him looking at her, "I'm starting to get a funny feeling."

"Well, you should probably stop thinking about me changing clothes then, you goofball," Judy teased.

"Seriously, Judy, get some clothes on and come out here."

Judy came out in the clothes she started the day with, knowing it was important whenever Nick used her first name. "What's wrong, Nick? Oh, please tell me you're not wearing sunglasses indoors." Nick took her wrist and led her behind a large fixture of ties, out of the line of sight of the jaguar.

"Something about that jaguar is bothering the heck out of me," Nick said, "she's looking at every customer passing her by, but hasn't sprayed a single one with a perfume sample yet." Judy's jaw dropped, and she peeked around the fixture.

"But that can't be _her_ ," Judy whispered, "Serena Prowlmore isn't a melanistic jaguar. ...Unless, you don't think she went as far as to re-sequence her own genes...?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Nick hissed quietly, "if that IS her, she probably just dyed her fur." Nick started taking some video of her on his phone, and snapping a few still pictures.

"Oh, right," Judy said. "Oh, no. No no no..." A dingo woman was heading down the store on a path that would take her past the jaguar. The jaguar's body language started to change, and her arms started to move.

"Would you care for a free sample?" the jaguar asked. "It smells really nice. Just remove your mask for one second." The dingo looked like she might comply.

"God...!" Nick spat. "We have no backup, are unarmed, and- Judy!" Judy sprang into action, rushing toward the perfume counter.

"ZPD!" Judy screamed. "Drop that bottle!" The jaguar bared her teeth in irritation and moved to spray the dingo. Just in time, Judy cleanly vaulted over the counter and carried her momentum into the jaguar, hitting her with both feet in her stomach. The jaguar grunted, falling back to the ground and unable to spray the dingo, but her grip on the bottle did not loosen. Judy started to reach for it, while the jaguar held it out of reach with her superior limb length. "Dingo, run!" The confused and terrified dingo did as she was asked.

"How dare you!" The jaguar's voice was familiar to Judy. She recognized it as matching the distorted voice from the terrorist video.

"Serena Prowlmore!" Judy proclaimed. "Drop that bottle! You are under arrest!" Nick kept filming the altercation, feeling worried. He wanted to rush to Judy's assistance, but his orders not to engage also hung with him, as he was canine.

"It will be a cold day on the surface of the sun before a tiny shrew like yourself could bring me in!" Serena kicked with both of her feet, throwing Judy off her. Judy quickly placed her hands behind her, leveraging herself against the counter and launching forward again. Yelling out, she delivered an uppercut to Serena's jaw. A feline screech of pain rang out.

"I really hope someone is calling the police, ironically enough," Nick fretted. He wanted to help, but needed the evidence of Serena's crimes. Also, a buried part of him that he didn't want to admit to feared for his own life.

"Fine, insect, if you want me to play rough...!" Serena roughly grabbed Judy by the shoulder with her free hand and thrust her into the counter, where Judy bashed her head. Groaning, she slumped over.

"Judy!" Nick shrieked, his body moving him forward without his mind's compliance. Nick removed his sunglasses and started for her. Serena stared at him and he felt his heart skip a beat as he could feel something like a beam of cold hatred shoot through him from her eyes, but she quickly broke herself out of this and got over the counter, heading to the exit. Nick grabbed a tie from the fixture he was running along and ran up behind Serena. He leaped at her, tossing the tie in front of her and grabbing its other end with his other hand, yanking.

"Ouglh!" Serena gurgled at the sudden pressure on her neck. She spun around and clawed at Nick, but he swiftly dodged, dropping the tie. He grabbed her shoulder roughly to keep her free arm down and tried to grab at the perfume bottle. He too was too short to grab it while Serena held it just out of his reach. She snapped at him with her fangs. Nick flinched his head backwards and managed to avoid her; he knew jaguars had one of the nastiest bites of all cats.

"Give yourself up!" Nick grunted, almost managing to force her wrist down. He sunk his claws into her wrist to try to get her to drop it. She yowled out in pain and fury, and brought her knee into Nick's midsection. Nick grunted, but kept his grip firm. Over and over she thrust her knee into him in various parts of his abdomen until one final blow with with a bloodcurdling scream of anger from Serena managed to knocked Nick away from her and into the floor near the exit. He yelped as his back hit the wall, doubling over in pain.

Serena caught her breath, and then her composure. With a condescending, dark smile, she walked over to Nick and removed his mask roughly. She then sprayed him with the bottle, leaned over to whisper something, and spat on him. She then made her way out of the store. Groaning, Nick struggled to his feet and looked outside, but didn't see any sign of her. He felt like he should run into the parking lot to try to find her, but then he remembered his partner.

"Judy?" Nick limped over to where Judy was. Judy had both hands on her head, shaking it slowly. "Are you okay, Judy?"

"I think so..." Judy groaned, "the room's finally stopped spinning. My head is killing me. How about you? Are you okay?"

"Maybe not for long..." Nick said, his voice desperate.

"What?!" Judy shot up. "Where's Serena? Is she gone? Did... oh no... Nick...?"

"She sprayed me with that bottle, and she made her escape," Nick said, his tone devoid of emotion, "and right before she left, she said... 'enjoy the last few days of your life.'"

* * *

-Zootopia Mercy General Hospital, Quarantine Area, 12:00 PM-

A couple of days later, the animal hunt for Serena Prowlmore had begun in earnest. The Zootopian police were able to confirm from the blood and fur samples on Nick that it was indeed Serena's DNA and that she had dyed her fur; her DNA was kept on record at her previous area of employment, which had relinquished it. Pictures of both her black-dyed form and her natural colors were shown on TV regularly, along with a press conference given by Chief Bogo detailing her danger and the method she used to infect her victims. Judy found herself aimless and restless at the ZPD, desperately trying to find something to do that would help with the case. She felt empty without her partner. Chief Bogo caught sight of her and demanded she take the rest of the day off. Judy headed to the hospital immediately after.

"Please, can I see Nick Wilde?" Judy begged a male horse nurse near the quarantine area. "I'm his partner... please."

"All right. You'll have to get into full quarantine scrubs and an ear-net though, for safety."

"Of course. Anything." After Judy was redressed and passed through an anti-contamination chamber, she rushed over to see Nick. He looked awful. His eyes were barely open and his fur was damp with his own sweat. Judy's eyes enlarged and she felt her breath catch in her throat.

"Oh, Nick..." Judy rushed over, stopping short at his bedside.

"Carrots, izzat you?" Nick said weakly, "Or another hallucination?" He looked at Judy. "Wow, I must look like the wrath of God."

"Y-you could always see right through me," Judy was trying to fight tears. "How do you feel?"

"D'you want me to lie to you?" Nick said. Judy shook her head. "OK then. I feel like I can feel every single cell in my body. And they all hurt." Judy sobbed softly. "I know, I know. 'What were you thinkin', Nick, goin' after that insane jaguar by yourself?'"

"Yeah, that's as reckless as something _I'd_ do," Judy gave a tearful chuckle, "and I'm really gonna come down on you for trying to stop someone who's putting all of Zootopia's canines at risk. What an idiot." She hoped her sarcasm was palpable.

"If only I had got her, huh?" Nick coughed, his voice distant.

"Nick..." Judy started to cry again. "Remember what I told you on that balcony at New Year's Eve. Y-you can't leave me. You're not going anywhere."

"Never promised that," Nick grinned as Judy sobbed, "but, you were right. I'm not. Even if my body turned to dust, I'd still be with you. I'd haunt you everywhere, a relentless fox spirit. You'll _never_ be rid of me." He started coughing again, but struggled to keep smiling.

"Nick," Judy wiped her eyes, "what the heck am I supposed to say to that? What do I _do_?"

"You know what you need to do, Carrots," Nick said weakly, "you have to have that jaguar lying at your feet in a heap. Gotta find her, and make her pay. I know that's the only way your vindictive little bunny soul will be at peace." Judy felt herself grinning, her tears slowing.

"You know me a little too well, Nick," Judy said. "Prowlmore better hope I _don't_ find her."

"There's my girl," Nick sighed, his breaths seeming a bit pained, "so, stop cryin' over me. I'm not dead yet. Go focus that fiery, righteous rage you keep inside on finishin' this case, okay?"

"You must be exhausted, Nick," Judy nodded. "I'll leave you be." She turned to leave, but looked back purposefully. "I'll see you later."

Nick laid his head back against the pillow, groaning and gritting his teeth, but then, in a surprisingly forceful tone, he said. "Yes, you will."

"I better..." Judy whispered to herself as she left. As she got into her regular clothes and headed out into the hall, she saw a familiar face. It was a male ferret, Dr. Carl Pedshark. Judy had encountered him at the ZPD; he was their medical examiner.

"Dr. Pedshark!" Judy headed over to him. "Dr. Pedshark! Hello!"

"Oh, Officer Hopps," Dr. Pedshark nodded. "Here to see Wilde? They have pretty much all the greatest medical minds here at the hospital, working on this virus. He's in good hands."

"Including yours?" Judy asked hopefully.

"Ah, unfortunately I have little to no experience with viruses," Dr. Pedshark admitted, "I'm only here in... in case the most unfortunate outcome occurs."

"Ah, of course," Judy said hollowly. "Can... can you tell me anything about the virus?"

"Oh, plenty," Dr. Pedshark nodded, "the next few days in particular are crucial. The virus attacks the immune system, making it go into overdrive. Victims develop an extreme fever, and this is what they usually succumb to. If Wilde can get past the fever, he will most likely survive."

"The fatality rate is so high, though..." Judy said sadly.

"There's a small ray of hope," Dr. Pedshark went on, "the virus, I've been told, was sequenced so it would only target canines. Specifically, using wolves as a base. So, the disease is most effective on wolves, and slightly less fatal to other canids."

"You know a day is awful when 'slightly less fatal' is the best news you've heard all day," Judy said wryly.

"Well, I will certainly try to give you all the good news I can... ah..." Dr. Pedshark said, fidgeting. "Oh, the virus indeed can only be transmitted from infected canines by blood. It seems to be unable to survive outside of liquid past a certain temperature. That's why she needed to use that bottle. And! There's a bit of a silver lining, as well. Should Wilde survive, he has agreed to let us extract samples of his blood. From that the doctors should probably be able to fashion a vaccine. Unfortunately, none of the other survivors agreed to have this done, s-somewhat understandable due to the trauma they've been through, so Wilde is our best hope right now."

"He HAS to survive, then," Judy said with a hint of steel in her voice, "for my sake, and for all of Zootopia's canines."

* * *

-Mezzo Park, 1:40 PM-

Judy trudged over to her vixen friend Vivian Reddish's fruit cart, hoping to catch her there. Her eyes were heavy, and she was exhausted from emotion. Vivian noticed the anomalies in her scent before she finished approaching.

"Judy?" Vivian's masked face had concern all over it. "Are you all right? Would you like a smoothie? Lemonade?"

"I need a coffee, really," Judy offered a weak smile.

"Please tell me what's wrong," Vivian begged, "I know you've been to the hospital. You smell like medicine. It's... it's Officer Wilde, isn't it?" Judy nodded softly. "Oh Judy, I know how much he means to you... that virus...?" Judy nodded again.

"Please stay safe, Vivian," Judy said quietly. "Boil your water, stay inside as much as much as you can. Don't go to any department stores... and stay away from as many felines as possible."

"Oh, Judy..." Vivian came from behind the counter and gently knelt down to give her a hug. Judy softly reciprocated, trying to keep from crying again. "Take care of _yourself_ , okay? I'll do the best I can for me."

"Promise me you will be safe."

"I promise," Vivian nodded. Judy let go of the hug. "Now, what will you do for you?"

"I'm going to make sure this comes to an end. I know I won't be able to sleep soundly until it is," Judy looked determined through her weariness, and this impressed Vivian.

"I'll look forward to seeing your name in the papers, _again_ , then," Vivian smiled. "Go get them, bunny."

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 6:40 PM-

Two days later, Nick's condition hadn't changed. Judy's sleep had been restless, and she took little naps where she could. She jerked awake, finding herself sitting next to Karen Skippel at her computer station. Judy reached forward for her coffee, sipping from it.

"You still with me, Judy?" Skippel asked. Judy yawned.

"Barely," Judy admitted, "my sleep has been erratic lately, and full of nightmares." A minute of silence passed between them as Skippel was doing research on her computer.

"You..." Skippel began, unsure if she should proceed.

"Talk to me, Karen," Judy said, "keep me awake."

"You really care about that fox, huh?"

"Yeah," Judy nodded, "more than I can express in words. He's... well, he's my partner. In every sense of the word. A part of me. Without him, I'm incomplete."

"Wow," Skippel marveled, "I don't know if I've ever felt about anyone that strongly, much less a predator." Judy sipped her coffee, feeling that remark roll off her.

"Really?" Judy asked. "Hm, how do you get along with your brothers and sisters?" Skippel stopped moving her mouse.

"I... don't have any."

Judy blinked in surprise, "Huh? A rabbit with no siblings...?"

"Yup," Skippel nodded. "My mother died during childbirth. My father spent all of his time raising and supporting me. It was hard on both of us. I never have been really able to connect with people. People say I'm weird for a bunny, antisocial."

"Karen, that's so sad," Judy looked at her with concern, but Skippel wouldn't return her look.

"Maybe," Skippel considered, "but I see how much pain you're going through right now. It's eating you up. If I never feel about anyone that way, then I won't be able to be hurt like that."

"You have a point," Judy said, her eyes darting around, "but... I don't know. I chose him. I... really can't articulate it better then that. I feel like some things are worth pain."

"I'll take your word for it, Judy," Skippel went back to looking.

"We're not getting any closer, are we?" Judy grumbled.

"Actually, I was taking Nick's time-lapse idea into mind while looking," Skippel started, "several more cases of the virus have showed up in the past few days, and correcting for how long the virus usually takes to hit, I can somewhat pinpoint where they might have been infected. This has taken me like all day, but I've made a map of where I can guess the victims were when they were infected."

"Wait wait, hold on," Judy blurted, wide awake, "canines are still getting _infected_? I thought Prowlmore was pinned! If she showed her face at another store, the police would have been on her right away!"

"Looks like she's found another way," Skippel nodded, "take a look at this. The infected dots flow away from particular, central points on three of the four major sections of Zootopia. First, Rainforest District. She probably started there. Then, counter clockwise from there. The next day, Savanna Central. After that, Sahara Square. Only Tundratown remains."

"Wait, is that TONIGHT?" Judy's ears shot up in panic. "W-where are they coming from?"

"The dots are leading away from the central water purification plants in each of the districts," Skippel said.

"Sweet heavens!" Judy put a hand to her forehead. "She's contaminating the water supplies!"

"Yeah, most likely," Skippel nodded, "and like most serial criminals, she's been very methodical about it. I'd estimate she hits the plants at about 8:00 PM."

"8:00 PM!" Judy repeated desperately, "There's barely any time! It's 7:00 now! I... I gotta go!" Judy frantically grabbed her supplies and her customized stun gun. "Karen, talk to Bogo! See if you can get any of the Tundratown police to show up at the water plant!" Skippel looked surprised at Judy's frantic scrambling.

"This is basically just a hunch, Judy!" Skippel had her arms out, "I mean the pieces fit, the math fits, but... I could be wrong."

"You're the best shot I have right now, Karen," Judy said, slipping on her armored vest, "I'm not going to let this chance slip away." Judy took off, tearing down the hall. Chief Bogo showed up shortly after, folding his arms as he regarded Skippel.

"And just where was Hopps going in such a hurry?" Chief Bogo asked meticulously.

"Oh boy," Skippel prepared for a very difficult conversation.

* * *

-Tundratown Main Water Purification Plant 7:50 PM-

Judy parked her police cruiser and hopped out, drawing her stun gun. Her mind raced. How was Prowlmore pulling this off? Didn't the plants have any guards? She hurriedly looked around and went to what looked like an enormous basin of what she hoped was the purified water. She noticed a female hippo guard slumped against the wall, bleeding. Judy came over to her and tested her pulse. She was still alive. Judy pulled out her radio to make sure backup and an ambulance was on the way, but she gasped as she saw a figure on top of the basin, standing on a grated walkway. The figure looked feline, and wore a trenchcoat that whipped in the cold air. Gritting her teeth, she decided she had no more time to lose. Not wanting to give away her position, she swiftly but silently climbed up to the basin's walkway, and drew her stun gun.

"That's far enough, Prowlmore," Judy said. Prowlmore turned to look at her, smirking with contempt and haughtiness. Her hand already had a vial in it, and was holding it over the basin.

"Well well, if it isn't the hero cop I was so rudely introduced to a few days ago," Serena Prowlmore said. "How's your dog? Choking on his own blood yet?"

"You've lost, Prowlmore," Judy sneered carefully, trying not to fly into a rage. "Put that vial down."

"On the contrary, it's impossible for _you_ to win!" Prowlmore smirked. "Where am I going to put this vial down to? It'll slip through the cracks of the grate. Bye bye, puppies. Or, suppose you shoot me. I'll lose control of my body for several seconds, and then I'll just drop the vial involuntarily! Either way, the dogs die. Either way, you lose."

"What is your problem?!" Judy snapped. "Why do you want canines to suffer? What did they ever do to you?"

"Oh I'm afraid I have no tragic backstory to wet your eyes with," Prowlmore mocked, "I just hate dogs. The way they smell, scratch, sniff, whine, howl. Of all of us evolved mammals, they're still the most base. They're mostly still in the stone age. I'm surprised that they can form coherent sentences. Repulsive creatures. Zootopia will be better off without them. Or at least, far fewer of them."

"I'm afraid you will not get a chance to see that world," Judy grit her teeth.

"Have you been listening, you idiot?" Prowlmore sneered, "I win! Nothing you can do will prevent me from my goal."

"Yeah, but are you willing to die for it?" Judy said darkly. She placed her paw on the intensity dial of her stun gun. "Because this tiny, idiot bunny sees a _very_ large, scary, and dangerous predator in front of her. It'll take a lot to bring her down." Prowlmore actually looked taken aback.

"What?" Prowlmore said, her haughtiness faltering. "You'd _kill_ me? The police don't do that. Especially when their life isn't in immediate danger."

"Would you like to try me?" Judy asked coldly. Her words seeped with intense loathing. "I'm a terrified little bunny. So scared of what a big predator like you could do if you moved one inch on your LOATHSOME body. You will not live to see the world you want, Prowlmore. So, if you drop that vial, you will die for it."

Prowlmore's eyes were wide at the extreme hatred Judy was emitting. She started to hear sirens, and a helicopter started circling the area.

"Give yourself up, Prowlmore, you are surrounded!" A megaphone blared at her. Judy smirked to herself. The cavalry had arrived. She could see a few polar bear and moose officers emerging from the other side of the basins walkway. Judy's smirk vanished, however, as Prowlmore's fear changed to an indignant expression.

"All right then. In the afterlife, I will be content in knowing that I've caused your fall from grace, you hateful, wretched bunny," Prowlmore dropped the vial.

"NO!" Judy shrieked.

 _CLACK!_

The stun gun went off and the charge sank into Prowlmore's midsection. She toppled to the grated floor, convulsing, and then was still.

"Officer Hopps, stand down!" A decorated polar bear officer charged across the platform, kneeling over Prowlmore. Prowlmore groaned, shaking her head weakly.

"You filthy liar," Prowlmore spat. "Spineless coward. You never were going to kill me. You didn't have the guts. Well, now look what you've wrought."

"You have the right to remain _silent_ ," Judy said, angrily bringing her foot back, about to kick her.

"Have you lost your mind, Hopps?" the polar bear yelled at her, "STAND DOWN. We have her. The polar bear fit a muzzle over her and cuffs on her back, and tossed her over to another officer. "Chief Poe Larson of the Tundratown PD. Fall in line."

"My apologies, sir," Judy said, holstering her weapon. "I thought I had her. I was trying to stall for time until backup showed up. At least, I hope backup was going to show up. I was following a wild hunch." Larson shook his head.

"Chief Bogo was right, I've never seen something so tiny so full of fire."

"Again, I apologize," Judy said, her ears drooping.

"Oh don't be sorry," Larson grinned, "It's quite becoming of such a small officer. At least we got that feline before she caused any more havoc, huh?"

"About that," Judy said, "there's an extremely high probability that this water basin is contaminated with the Canine Virus. We need to advise the employees of this facility, and probably have Tundratown deploy a boil water advisory. Oh also, theres an injured hippo at the base of the basin."

"Okay, I'll get my people on that," Larson nodded seriously, "you are dismissed." Judy sighed as Prowlmore fell out of sight.

"All of that suffering and fear she caused, and she gets to go to a prison cell instead of a grave," Judy grumbled.

"Not quite," Larson said, "she's a terrorist. After her trial, she'll likely be going to a special facility where we'll be getting us to tell her everything she knows and did with that virus."

"Ah, you'll be extracting the information painfully, I hope?" Judy smirked.

"You are one crazy little bunny," Larson laughed.

* * *

-Zootopia Mercy General Hospital, Room 308, 1:10 PM-

"Nick, you're alive!" Judy joyfully burst into Nick's hospital room, smiling at him in his white, blue-dotted hospital gown.

"So I am," Nick smirked, looking down at himself, "wow, no wonder they call you one of the best police officers in the ZPD. So astute."

"And you're still super annoying!" Judy hopped up and down, unironically gleeful while saying these words. Nick chuckled, very glad to see Judy.

"So, tell me how it went down," Nick grinned, "I heard you got her. I knew you'd get her."

Judy began to tell the story of what went down at the Tundratown purification plant. Nick's eyes slowly got wider and wider. Judy's voice and gestures were very emphatic.

"Good God," Nick said, baring his teeth in a wince, "remind me to never make you angry." Judy chuckled happily.

"Don't you see?" Judy asked. "The only reason I was so angry is because of how she made you suffer. ...Nick, there's something I should tell you, something I should have said for a long time."

"Don't, Judy," Nick held a paw up. "Look at me. I'm in a frilly little gown, and you've got dark circles under your eyes. I know what you're going to say. Trust me. I do. But we don't... we don't own this moment. Is this how you want to remember it?" Judy seemed both happy and perplexed, her mouth open in a grin, but sputtering in confusion.

"Nick I..." Judy said, confused, "It's just... I never know when it'll be too late."

"Never will be," Nick shook his head. "Like I said, I _know_. I can see right through you, dumb bunny."

"Okay, Nick," Judy smiled happily. "So, the doctors are working on the vaccine, right? You're a hero. Hopefully no more canines will have to die from this terrible plague, all because of you." Her eyes sparkled with pride.

"Yeah," Nick scratched behind his head. "Who knew all I needed to do to be a hero was lay in a bed and suffer terribly for five or so days. Wow, I lost count. Uh...Fluff? You're kinda, uh, vibrating." She was definitely shaking in joy, her arms held close to her chin.

"Please, please tell me I can hug you."

"I believe the doctor has said I am clear for hug-oOUGH," Nick yelped as Judy jumped onto him, "Jeez, Carrots, not so hard! I'm still tender in the tum from psycho kitty bashing my stomach in."

"Oops, sorry," Judy giggled in apology.

* * *

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment, 10:32 PM-

Over the next month, the Canine Virus was finally defeated and obliterated from Zootopia, thanks to the vaccine culled from Nick's blood. Canines finally were able to show their muzzles in public again and Judy realized just how much she had missed Nick's sly smirking at others. One evening that they both had off, they had come back from a nice dinner together. They started to cuddle on the couch, Nick laid back luxuriously on the couch with Judy softly clinging to him. He'd finally decided to stop pretending he didn't really enjoy this, a lot.

"Mmm," Judy said in a haze of comfort, smiling, "well, I think the time is right. I'm gonna say it and you can't stop me."

"What? Say what- oh," Nick gulped, "very well, miss, fire away."

"I love you, Nicholas, very truly," Judy said tenderly, "I mean, I told you that the first time we were in our cruiser together, but I don't think even I knew how much I meant it. Not for a couple of years. Our partnership, it's always been about love and trust. I had just fooled myself into thinking that the love part... well, that I couldn't love a fox, you know? But wow, do I ever..." She snuck her hands up his shirt to warmly skritch at his tummy.

"W-woah, that tickles," Nick chuckled, "and for the record, what I said on the balcony at that New Year's party was all true. Every word. You can take it to the bank." Nick smiled, but then looked away and frowned. "No, you know what? You deserve more than that. I've loved you from basically the moment you smashed your head into my stomach under that bridge, Judy. You adorable little creature. I've always been afraid of loving you, though. I thought that, if we got too close, I could cause you pain. But duh, dumb fox, we _are_ close, and basically always have been since we were partners. I realized when I had that virus that I would never be able to avoid hurting you. Whenever I feel pain, so do you. So I might as well love you, too, since I was denying myself that reality. I love you, so much, Judith."

Judy's eyes sparkled. "J-Judith?! No one's called me Judith since I was five!" She laughed pleasantly. "So can I call you something you haven't been called before? Mm, how about... Nicky?"

"Oh, please don't," Nick whined. Judy laughed again. Judy rubbed Nicks cheeks, looking smitten with affection. She leaned in to give him a soft, but loving kiss. Nick closed his eyes and reciprocated. After that moment passed, they shared a warm smile.

"I have a confession to make," Judy said, her ears heating up.

"What, after all that?" Nick said in surprise.

"When you were sick, and away," Judy started, "I didn't wash your sheets."

"Wow, how could you," Nick said sarcastically.

"No, it was because..." Judy said, her voice strangely timid, "I slept in them. They smelled like you. They... helped me get through that time. So, you were right. You were always there for me." Nick blinked several times. Judy was getting hard to see.

"Aw, don't cry, Nick!" Judy said in a high tone. She started to mist up, too.

"I am not crying!" Nick lied, "It's just really hard to look at you while you're glowing like the freakin' sun!" Judy wiped away his tears, and one of her own.

"Well, I'm tired," Judy suddenly hopped up. "Time to go to sleep in my bed." Judy headed, not to her bedroom, but Nick's. Nick tugged at the collar of his shirt.

"S-sly bunny," he said nervously, following her.


	8. Emergent Partners

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment-

Nick Wilde groaned in annoyance. He was supposed to take a whole week off from work to recuperate from a severe illness he had barely survived. Despite this, he felt fine; he was fully recovered. He lounged about on the couch, taking his phone off of the table and flinging it into the air, catching it in his paw. He opened his phone and his conversation with Judy Hopps, sending her a couple of carrot emujis with a question mark at the end.

While waiting for her reply, he opened a rather prodigious folder on his phone entitled "Dumb Bunny". They were all pictures of the gray rabbit; now by far the largest collection of pictures on his phone. Some selfies with her, some candid shots, some where she was made aware of them. Nick flicked through them, noting how her expressions changed over the years. Early on, a lot of the shots had her making irritated faces, though mixed with a few pleasant ones. A year or so later, and Judy had been appropriating Nick's sly smirks into her shots. So proud, Nick thought, clutching his chest. Lately, though, a lot of her shots had outright fond looks. Nick smiled a bit brighter at these; a lot of them were after he had told her he loved her.

[Yes?] Judy finally texted Nick back.

[There a word that's beyond bored? Or do I just add on adverbs like supremely?]

[Stop whining. Just as boring here w/o you =:p]

Nick chuckled to himself. It was nice knowing they were both just as co-dependent on each other. His phone buzzed again.

[Dinner? =:3] Judy added.

[Sure thing]

[Let's go to one of my faves. Get ready, meet you after work.]

* * *

-Veggiepocalypse, Home of the Saladsplosion-

"Well! This place sure has an interesting name," Nick chuckled, taking a seat.

"Don't let that fool you; this place is great!" Judy bounced once in her seat. "There's more salad dressings here than I even knew existed!"

"U-um, are you two ready to order?" A nervous-looking ewe asked.

"Huh, the fruit and feta cheese saladsplosion looks nice," Nick shrugged.

"Ooh, I like that one too! Two of those, and a couple of waters, please," Judy nodded. The ewe bit her lip and walked off. Judy's enthusiastic mood waned a bit as she saw several pairs of eyes staring at her and the fox. Her eyes narrowed a bit and she sneered. "Rgh."

"It's the shades, isn't it?" Nick quipped, taking his sunglasses off. The stares didn't cease.

"It's not the sunglasses," Judy grumbled. Shortly, a middle-aged, snooty looking rabbit with a "tuxedo" color pattern walked up to their table. His name tag read "Derek Bunsworth, Manager".

"I'm afraid we do not serve... traditionally predatory animals here," Derek said, looking pointedly at Nick. Judy grew a large frown.

"Ah, no big deal, I'm a vegetarian," Nick said, waving his paw in front of his face. Judy's mouth was twisting; it looked like she'd snap at any time.

There was a small pause. Derek sighed. "Yes, well, I don't know if you're just trying to impress this young lady, but you're not fooling me. Please leave."

Judy slammed the table with both paws and rose up. She pulled out and flashed her badge. "Excuse me! Officer Judy Hopps, ZPD. Kindly refrain from harassing my _fellow officer_ , Mister... Bunsworth." Judy's expression was full of barely checked rage.

Not intimidated, Derek cocked an eyebrow. "Unfortunately, Officer Hopps, I'm afraid you do not create the rules, you merely enforce them. So, as we are within our rights to refuse service, perhaps _you_ should escort this fox off of our premises?" Judy looked infuriated; her teeth clashing together.

"Take me away, officer," Nick shrugged with a tiny, wry smile. Judy left in a huff, and Nick followed her, his hands in his pockets.

"Dumb bunny!" Judy spat as the two walked down the street.

"Ooh, no! No no no," Nick held up his arms in caution. "That's _my_ name for _you_. Please don't sully it with the likes of him."

"Idiotic, moronic, speciesist trash bunny, then!?" Judy fumed, glaring at Nick.

Nick gave an easy shrug, remaining calm. "That's a bit more like it."

"Tuh!" Judy whipped her head to the other side, scoffing angrily. She scowled, pulling out her phone and starting to rapidly type.

"Ordering us a pizza, Fluff?" Nick folded his arms behind his head. "I'm still hungry."

"Don't distract me, Nicholas," Judy snipped, "I'm changing my review for this place. It's going down from four and a half stars to HALF a star. And, I'm marking down what a bunch of backwards, discriminating a-"

Nick suddenly started laughing, throwing his head back in amusement. His laugh was uproarious.

" _What_ is so funny?" Judy asked him with pursed lips.

"You!" Nick wiped a tear from his eye. "I just love it when you get so mad."

Judy shook a finger at him. "Well, keep it up, buster, and you can have all of the angry bunny you'd like."

Nick looked away, holding up a palm near his head. "Let me rephrase. I love when you get mad for MY sake. You're my own, terrifying little bunny guardian."

Nick gave her a small, but rather adoring smile after declaring this. Judy felt herself defusing and eventually returned the smile.

It was good to be appreciated.

* * *

-Streets of Savanna Central-

Nick was sick, alright. Sick of remaining idle. The next day he had off, he launched out of bed and ended up on the streets, walking down alone with his hands in his pockets. He walked around until he found what he was looking for: a van with a wolf warrior carrying a dainty looking female wolf painted on the side. Slowly and after hesitation, he knocked a secret knock on the back door of the van so it's occupant wouldn't come out armed with a bat. Though, with his current relationship with him, he might come out with one anyway.

There was a short pause, but a small, angry-looking fennec popped his head out of the back of the van, then threw open the doors. He folded his arms and scowled.

"Well, look who it is," the fennec, Finnick, started in his unusually deep voice, "Nick-oh-luss _Wilde_. Whatchoo think _you're_ doing next to _my_ van? This ain't a sting, is it?"

"Just bored, Finnick," Nick said, shaking his head. A corner of his mouth moved upwards. "Sorry I haven't checked in on my favorite 'son' lately."

Finnick's eyes widened at Nick's audacity, scanning him with his eyes. "Well, you're brutally honest, ain't you? Maybe you should think of a reason to be here before I just get _brutal_." Finnick grabbed a small pawpsicle and shoved it in his small maw.

Nick had a pleasant smile. "How's the hustling going?"

"A lot slower, without a 'dad'," Finnick said, licking his pawpsicle. "Can't make as many at once, gotta make sure I buy from smaller vendors... least I can keep all the dough."

"Haven't thought of teaming up with anyone else?" Nick shrugged. Finnick narrowed one eye, pulling the pawpsicle out of his face and staring at Nick skeptically.

"You'n I had a good thing goin', Wilde," Finnick said. "You think I can just walk up to any ol' shady fox and ask 'em if I can pretend to be their elephant-lovin' son? You just walked away from me to be with that bunny broad so you could be 'legit'."

"Oh, so is it because she's a bunny?" Nick folded his arms, his smile weakening.

Finnick stared at him incredulously. "For real? Bunny, vixen, raccoon, mole rat, it don't matter! You _left_ me, you sunnuva vixen! Whatchoo want me to say? 'Thanks for leavin' me by myself'?" Finnick crunched down on his pawpsicle.

Nick actually looked somewhat remorseful. He gestured with his hands a little, unable to speak for a few seconds, though his muzzle moved. "Sorry, Finnick, I uh... well... I love her."

Finnicks eyes went wide. He poked his head out of his van and looked around for cameras or microphones; he was sure a prank was being pulled on him. Seeing nothing, he narrowed one eye and tilted his head. "Did that fever you got fry more of your brain cells than I'd heard?" Finnick stood closer to Nick from the back of his van and knocked on his forehead twice. Nick just smirked. "I wouldn't think you'd admit that under pain of _death_ , Nick! Not that I can't _provide_ that." Finnick replaced his shrinking pawpsicle, cracking his knuckles.

"Listen, I know you've felt this way before, Finnick," Nick had his palms out, "you know that woman you fell for, Cass-"

Finnick folded his arms, his pawpsicle finished and the stick held between his teeth. "Oh, don't you bring up that little vix Cassandra!" Finnick sneered. "She just wanted to hustle _me_ and leave me dry. That Hopps ain't nothin' like her. You lucky, Nick."

"Yeah, I am," Nick nodded seriously, his voice honest. "Every day."

Finnicks face finally softened. "So whatchoo _really_ want, Nick?"

"I'll tell you what I _don't_ want," Nick started, "I don't want to lose touch with you. I'm grateful for the time we helped each other make a living in this dumb city." He held his hands up to his face and closed his eyes. "I know it might not have been entirely _legal_ , but we still kept things relatively painless."

"Far as you know," Finnick flashed his teeth in a grin.

Nick put his arms on his hips, leaning forward. "Just wanted to make sure you're keeping your nose and paws clean."

Finnick gave a terse, but still deep, laugh. "Aight, _dad_ , I got this." He swiped his paw in the air separating the two. "Why don't you go home and get you summa dat BUNNY tail you like so much. Send pictures. You still got my number." Finnick flicked his pawpsicle stick at Nick, and it bounced off his muzzle. Nick bent over to pick it up.

"Ah ah ah!" Nick waggled the stick at him. "Littering!"

"Aight, _whatever_ , boy scout," Finnick cackled and slammed the doors to his van.

Nick blinked, reflecting on that choice of works. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled, walking away and tossing the stick into a trash can. He guessed he kind of was, in a way. Took him long enough, he thought.

* * *

-Mezzo Park-

Judy and Nick approached Vivian Reddish's frozen fruit stand on the weekend. The friendly vixen waved at them.

"Thirsty?" Vivian asked.

Judy nodded. "Yeah, but I'm kind of a little bit sick of _not_ paying for your drinks, Vivian..."

Vivian grinned, shooting a look to Nick. "Okay, you can pay for it. But I'll only let you pay for _one_ cup. This size." She put a fairly large cup, from their perspective, in front of them. Judy rolled her eyes and they ended up looking at Nick. "What? I'll give you two straws...!"

"I'm down," Nick shrugged. "How about we share an orange-blueberry swirl?"

"Now we're talking!" Vivian giggled, pouring the refreshment. Nick took out his wallet and paid for it before Judy could. Vivian handed over the drink and the straws. "Okay you two, have fun and stay fresh!" Vivian stood on one foot, dangling her paws in front of her face and wiggling her fingers.

Nick and Judy stood motionless, baffled; one eyebrow on each of them slowly moved up almost simultaneously.

Vivian showed her teeth in embarrassment. "A bit too much? I was trying to think up a slogan; guess I'll keep at it..." All three of them chuckled a bit.

The two shared a walk through the park as they attempted to share their drink. Both of them seemed to move in at the same time for their straws. Their noses tended to rub together, and furtive kisses were shared as a result. Judy squeaked at one such opportunistic kiss; Nick's lips were cold. Nick smiled at her.

"You know, I think you keep moving in when I do on purpose," Nick accused. Their drink was about half-way finished.

"That's _my_ line!" Judy shot back with the same expression.

"Fluff, you get the feeling Vivian just had me pay for an elaborate scheme to get a fox and a bunny to kiss?" Nick tilted his head at her.

"What's the matter, feeling hustled?" Judy bat her eyes at him.

"Well, I can live with it, as long as my reward is a cute bunny," Nick said playfully.

"Nicholas!" Judy's brow furrowed, but she was grinning. She shoved him away from her. "'Cute' is for when we're _not_ in public!"

"Sorry, officer, guess you'll have to punish me...!" Nick said teasingly, approaching her and wrapping an arm around her, hugging her close to his side. "You know you love me- _URGH_!"

Both of them were so caught up in their flirting that they didn't notice the horse. He came up behind Nick and shoved him with both hooves impacting on his back. Nick fell to the ground, the drink he was carrying tumbling alongside him. Judy was stunned into motionlessness for several seconds.

"Hey!" The horse exclaimed, shaking his hoof accusingly at the fallen fox. "You get away from that rabbit, predator! You think just because you're bigger you can mess with her!? Not in this park! I'm calling the police!" He took out his phone.

"I'll save you the trouble!" Judy was livid. The horse flinched from her fiery stare. She whipped out her badge. "You've just assaulted a _police officer_! You're under arrest!" The horse gasped and ran off at full speed. Judy took a few steps after him before Nick called out to her.

"Judy!" Nick groaned in pain. "Leave him. Not worth it."

Judy's arms indicated the horse, sputtering in disbelief. "What!? Of _course_ you're worth it. You were just _assaulted_!"

"Agh...!" Nick got to his knees. "No, I mean, he's a horse. You're probably just as fast as him, but he'd have more stamina. And we don't have any of our gear."

"Nick...!" Judy rushed over to him with concern. "Do we need to get you to a hospital?"

"I don't _think_ so," Nick tried to get up to his feet, but groaned and stayed on his knees. He adjusted to sit on his haunches. "Boy, that smarts. Can't say I've ever caught horse hooves in the back before." Judy looked at the overturned drink on the ground; the straws in the dirt. She thought the drink could still be useful, so she salvaged what she could of it.

"Maybe this will help?" Judy took the now grass-infused drink and gently, softly placed it on Nick's back, trying to lay it over where the small indents of the impact marks looked like they were.

"Sssgh... aaagh..." Nick slurped and groaned.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Judy said, panicky. "I'll try to be more gentle..."

"It's okay, I think it's helping," Nick mumbled.

"S-stupid horse," Judy's eyes started to water a bit, even though she wasn't the one injured.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Nick said reassuringly. Even though he couldn't see her, he heard her voice catching and knew she was upset. "From his view it probably looked like I was forcing myself on you."

"Why doesn't anyone understand...?" Judy asked softly, rotating the drink to keep the cold on Nick's injuries. She gave a shaky sigh.

"Eh, they either don't know or don't care," Nick said, his voice as blank as his stare at the ground. "I'll just have to be more careful about what I do with you in public. Besides just calling you 'cute' that is." He gave a soft huff of amusement.

"I take it back," Judy's voice was still upset, "call me 'cute' whenever you want. I just... rgh... I just wish you _didn't_ feel like you have to guard yourself around me..."

"Shh, it's okay," Nick shook his head, giving another huff, "hey, I've had a lot of practice with that, though."

Judy looked away from Nick's back, her eyes squinted shut; her eyelids trembling. Her teeth were clenched tightly and one tear managed to flee down her cheek. She felt like a small part of her soul had been stepped on by an elephant. She tried very hard to restrain herself, but her next breath was a shuddering gasp.

"Judy, c'mon, it's all right..." Nick held one of his hands out to his side. Judy reached out, firmly clutching his paw and squeezing it.

"It's not..." Judy insisted.

"Look at what I've got," Nick rubbed his thumb over her paw. "As long as I have this, it's okay."

"...It's okay," Judy finally agreed, giving a wobbly smile. Nick gave a relieved smile as he felt a kiss sneak up on him and land on his cheek.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters-

A day later, Nick was finally back at work with Judy. They walked out of the briefing room together.

"You know, I think I'd have felt better if I could have come to work a few days earlier, actually," Nick grinned wryly.

"How's your back?" Judy asked in concern.

"To tell you the truth? Hurts," Nick nodded, then shook his head. "I'll live."

"Tsk," Judy sucked her teeth at Nick, staring at his neck. "Honestly, Nick, your tie is a mess. Come here, dumb fox." Judy grabbed his wrist and dragged him into the break room. She began fixing his tie, looking up at him, one side of her mouth in a long, wry line of disapproval.

"As you wish, sly bunny. Boy, you're out of work for a week and you forget all about how to tie a tie," Nick shrugged.

"You wore a tie every day you were off, you dingbat!" Judy chuckled, though she tried to keep looking annoyed.

"Hey, you know that's offensive to bats," Nick said mockingly.

"Yeah? Well I'm sick of _being_ the offended one," Judy challenged. "There, now your mother wouldn't have to disown you if she saw what an awful knot you tied." Judy smiled happily, cinching up the knot and leaning in. Their noses were dangerously close. Nick grinned. It'd be so easy to steal a little nose kiss...

At that moment, Chief Bogo walked by the break room and froze, seeing the tender look the two were giving each other. Nick's eyes widened and his pupils shrank, and Judy cautiously followed his gaze, her face making the same expression. Chief Bogo took his clawed fingers and pointed at his own eyes with two of them, then at both of them. He looked down the hall for any movement, then leaned his head into the room.

"Keep it _out_ of the office," Chief Bogo warned in a low, flat voice. "I will not tell you again."

"I was just... f-fixing his tie..." Judy explained weakly. Chief Bogo's mouth was in a line, and he stormed off. "S-sweet cheese and crackers, I almost got us written up, or worse!"

"Eh, you _were_ just straightening my tie," Nick said evenly. Judy looked dazed.

"I did... I did almost kiss you," Judy admitted, wringing her hands and staring at the floor.

"So we'll be more careful," Nick went on easily, feeling the tight knot in his tie.

"I don't want to have to be," Judy grumbled with no emotion.

"They're getting to you... never let them see, remember?" Nick walked past her and brushed past her side with his own roughly. "'Oops'. Sorry, Officer Hopps."

Judy smiled at the contact, feeling herself calming.

* * *

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment-

Judy slammed the door to their apartment, folding her arms and scoffing.

"Uh oh, the bunny's grumpy again," Nick teased.

"So! Let's review," Judy gestured with her paw. "We can't be ourselves in public, nor the workplace, and we don't even _know_ about our families yet! Is this really how it has to be?"

"Maybe until the world catches up with us crazy hipsters," Nick wiggled his eyebrows. "But hey, I liked bunnies _before_ it was cool, just want you to remember."

Judy sighed, tilting her head back and her eyes searched the ceiling. "Nick, do you really always have to joke about things like this?"

"You know me by now, lovely bunny," Nick started to frown. "I joke when I'm anxious."

Judy frowned as well, and rushed over to hug him. He gratefully hugged back. After a moment, he released the hug and slowly pushed her away from himself.

"Speaking of things we have to do in private anyway," Nick smirked, "I've been coming up with some ideas. Think I could write a whole book about 'em, actually."

Judy's mood lifted instantly and she gasped. "Ooh, I'd love to read _that_ book!"

"I think you'll especially love the end," Nick's teeth showed.

"Now now, I'll be sure to take in all the yummy details in the middle, too," Judy sang angelically, though her expression was growing devilish.

"I'll have to hope I'm a good enough writer for you, then," Nick wiggled his eyebrows.

"I'm sure I'll be reading a magnum opus," Judy whispered, drawing close.


	9. Partners and Family

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment, 10:30 AM, Day One-

"About time you got up, sleepyhead!" Judy Hopps chided, watching Nick Wilde rub the sleep from his eyes as he slowly made his way out of their bedroom.

"Hey, we got an entire week off," Nick said groggily, "and this is the first time in so long I've gotten to sleep in so late."

"So," Judy dropped her already-packed suitcase in front of their couch, "where are we going?"

"Where are we... going?" Nick asked. "You actually wanna go on vacation for our vacation?" He chuckled a bit, scratching his tummy.

"I'm not going to sit around in this apartment for a whole week, that's for sure," Judy said. "Any suggestions?"

"Um," Nick thought about this for awhile. "Well, you know, it has been quite awhile since we visited our families. Maybe we could do that this week."

"Hey, yeah!" Judy agreed, nodding. "And we haven't visited them at all since we became an official item..."

"I'm sure we'll come to regret this decision," Nick yawned, stretching, "but yeah, I think that's what we should do. You want to maybe spend a couple of days or so at my mom's place, then head over to the Hopps farm?"

"Oh yes, yes!" Judy smiled happily, bouncing a little, "I adore your mother; she's so sweet!"

"Sounds like we have ourselves a plan, then," Nick smirked, "I'll let her know we'll be coming over later today." He started texting into his phone. Judy held up one of her forefingers.

"She uh, does she know we're actually a couple-couple...?" Judy asked hesitantly.

"Fluff, I think she knew we were a couple before either of _us_ did."

"What do you mean by that?" Judy gave a nervous giggle.

"Well, there was a reason I tried to avoid mentioning you to her during my weekly calls," Nick grumbled, "but she eventually found out about you, and then she asked about you every week. Over time, the questions got more and more, uh... inquisitive. First there was the easy stuff like, 'oh, how is Judy doing?', but soon enough it turned into 'has she worn any new clothes around you lately? I used to try to impress your father with new clothes when I was courting him,' and then one day she even hit me with 'do you like how she smells?'"

"Do you... huh," Judy gave an amused and surprised exhale.

"Right?" Nick shrugged. "Can you believe that?"

Judy looked away with her head, but then her eyes turned to look back at Nick. "So um, what did you tell her? About that." Nick nearly dropped his phone.

"That it was none of her business!" Nick enunciated.

"But," Judy pressed, "um, ... _do_ you like how I smell?"

"Oh for the love of..." Nick set his phone down hard and ran both of his hands through his head and ears. "YES. Yes, I like how you smell, happy?"

"Kinda, yeah!" Judy admitted in a small voice. "I never knew that! I've never caught you like... sniffing me or anything."

"Yeah, and why do you think that is?" Nick leaned on the refrigerator, folding his arms. "Your gigantic bunny ears would have picked up what I was doing right away, and then I never would have heard the end of it."

"Oh Nick, come on," Judy protested. "Don't you think it's a little late for us to be worrying about whatever little quirks we have? If you had told me earlier, I wouldn't have minded. I mean, if it was something you only wanted to do in private, I get that, but..."

"It's not only the embarrassment factor," Nick went on, "but, I mean, think about it. Doesn't it seem a little bit weird, and... I don't know, base? Can you imagine me rubbing and sniffing my muzzle all over you, taking in the slight shift in your scent when my wet nose starts to... to... tickle you..." He trailed off.

Judy and Nick both started to stare straight forward, unblinking. Their eyes glazed over a bit.

"Hey!" Judy suddenly piped up with enthusiasm, "I just got a great idea! How about... we head out on our vacation... tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow," Nick tested the word as if he had never heard it before. "I like tomorrow. Tomorrow is good."

* * *

-Mary Anne Wilde's Rainforest District Home, 10:00 AM, Day Two-

"Nicholas! Judy! Please come in!" Nick's mother, Mary Anne Wilde, cheerfully invited the two into her home, which was on the "ground floor" of the Rainforest District. She was a pretty looking vixen, just three inches shorter than Nick, and only the barest hint of age in her face, and none in her sweet, gentle voice. Nick gave his mother a brief hug after setting down their luggage. "Can you help Judy up, dear? My knees haven't been doing that great lately." She held out her hands expectantly, and Nick lifted Judy up so she could give Mary a hug at head-level.

"Mm, hello Mrs. Wilde," Judy greeted with her hug, while Nick held her, grinning.

"Judy, you know better," Mary softly reproved her, "you will call me Mary, Mary Anne, or Mom, but you will not call me ma'am or Mrs. Wilde."

"M-mom?" Judy said nervously. "I uh..."

"Well, maybe in time," Mary grinned. "I already think of you like family."

"In that case," Judy said, tilting her head to beckon Nick, "c'mon in here, Nick and let's make this a family hug." Nick stepped forward so he gently sandwiched Judy against Mary and himself.

"Ohhh, now this is more like it," Mary squeezed happily.

"Love you too, mom," Nick grinned, then let them both go.

Several minutes later, they were all reclined around a table in her living room, Nick and Judy in a couch, and Mary in a chair. All three were enjoying some lemon tea. Judy noticed the house still looked clean and sort of earthy, having a low light environment typical of Rainforest District homes.

"Ah, Nicholas," Mary started, "I hate to be rude, but do you think I could have a little alone time to chat with Judy?" Judy's ears perked and turned towards her at this.

"Oh, of course, mom," Nick nodded, standing up, "got anything I could do? Dishes need washing?"

"Yes, I haven't gotten to the dishes today," Mary nodded, "thank you, dear."

Nick smirked and patted Judy's head twice. "Good luck." Then, he made his exit to the kitchen.

After he left the room, Judy was actually the first one to speak. "So, um, Mary... I hope you don't mind that Nick and I are fully a... a thing now."

"Of course not, sweetie!" Mary said. "I've known for quite some time that no one on this Earth has made Nicholas happier than you. The very first phone call after he met you, he was like a completely different fox! I just knew he had met someone special. Took me several more calls to pry out just who that was, though!"

"Really?" Judy said very loudly. "So from the VERY FIRST time he talked to you after knowing me, you knew he thought I was special?"

"It's a shame I can't hear you over these incredibly loud dishes!" Nick shouted back, plugging in his phone and turning on some music.

Mary giggled mischievously. "Good idea, Judy. That will give us more privacy for the ol' girl talk." Judy smiled pleasantly. "Like you though, Judy, I've always hated stereotypes. It's easy to hate them when you're a fox, and they're all negative. Did you know that when I was growing up, 'vixen' was a slur applied to any female animal that was promiscuous or overly flirty?"

Judy shook her head. "No, I didn't know that." Her voice was slightly awed.

"I never strayed from my dear John, even when he was taken from me," Mary said, "so I've always been against stereotypes. I've always wanted Nicholas' happiness, as well, so I wanted to help him fight against those biases and become a Junior Ranger Scout. After that incident, though, he was crushed. It wasn't until you got into his life that I got my Nicholas back, the one I remembered. He was like a kit again!"

Judy looked slightly away with her eyes, smiling a warm but slightly embarrassed smile.

"Truthfully, though," Mary said cautiously, "once Nicholas finally told me who exactly you were, I had reservations."

"Because I'm a bunny," Judy nodded in understanding, not looking offended at all.

"No, goodness no," Mary shook her head. "It was because I recognized you from that press conference."

"Oh, sweet cheese and crackers," Judy said in dismay, covering her eyes with her ears. "I wish I could expunge that press conference from history."

"That was all I had to go on for awhile," Mary sipped her tea, "so maybe you can understand why I was a little worried, and why Nicholas sounded like he was describing an entirely different person. But when I saw his drive, when I showed up for his Police Academy graduation, and I heard your speech... Wow. You were so humble, yet inspiring and warm. I was quite in awe!"

"Mary..." Judy looked very embarrassed, her ears warming up.

"I've been rooting for you two ever since," Mary said, "I know it can't be easy, being a predator-prey couple. That's practically unheard of, especially in my time. But I know you two make each other so happy. So, there's no one else I'd rather have for my Nicholas than you."

"Aw, Mary..." Judy gave a bright smile, her eyes closed.

"Now, I know it's none of my business," Mary started with a bit of a sly grin that Judy recognized must be the Wilde family trademark, "but Nicholas hasn't ever sniffed you, has he?"

Judy felt incredibly tiny in the couch all of a sudden, her eyes widening. "U-um...!"

"Oh, sweetie!" Mary giggled pleasantly as she read Judy's reaction. "I hope you didn't take offense to that if he did! We canines are a bit off like that. We love the smells of our loved ones, especially our mates."

Judy flashed her teeth, feeling incredibly nervous. "No! I mean, uh, yes! It was... it was pleasant!"

"I apologize for putting you on the spot, my dear," Mary continued to giggle. "I wish I had a picture of that face you just made, though." Nick came back into the room, rubbing his hands.

"All right, dishes are done, hands are dry," Nick looked at Judy, "oh my God. Mom? What have you been talking about?"

"Oh, nothing," Mary sang. Nick looked at Judy again for confirmation, and she showed him a very large, but transparently uncomfortable smile. Nick sighed.

"Please leave my poor bunny alone, mom," Nick sat on the couch, slipping behind Judy, "now I have to deploy my new emergency bunny de-stressing maneuvers." He cracked his knuckles. Judy blinked.

"Uh, wait, Nick," Judy put her hands on his wrists lightly in a weak protest, "a-are you sure you want to do that in front of her...?"

"Just gonna show her how I take care of my bun," Nick grinned slyly. "Now, don't get too anxious. You know this only works for mild-to-medium anxiety." Nick took his hands and wrapped both of them around the base of Judy's ears. He slowly stroked upwards, along the full length of the outside of her ears, with his claws barely touching inside of them. Judy's hands immediately fell from Nick's wrists. "I can feel the heat radiating from her ears." Nick half-lid his eyes at his mother. "Just what were you bothering her about?" Mary didn't respond, a paw to her mouth, finding this treatment of his adorable.

"Ooh..." Judy cooed, barely audibly, soaking in the feeling.

Nick continued petting her ears, repeating the same stroke twice more. "Now, after three to four times-" Judy's right foot jerked once, and her right eyelid twitched, "that should happen, that's how I know it's working. And just a few more deft strokes and..." Judy nearly turned to jelly, slumping a bit against Nick, her eyes barely open and a very goofy looking smile on her face.

"That is too precious," Mary giggled, enchanted.

"There we are," Nick grinned, satisfied, "dumb bunny mode activated." Mary opened her mouth and suddenly looked very displeased.

"Nicholas P. Wilde!" Mary pointed a finger at Nick, "I've taught you better than that! I will not have you SPECIES SHAMING in my house!" Nick blinked, jerking out of the spell he was casting on Judy. Judy was released from her brief trance as well, waving both hands.

"Oh no no no!" Judy protested. "I love it when he calls me that! It's... it's kind of a thing we have. I call him dumb fox or sly fox, he calls me sly bunny or dumb bunny. Our relationship was kind of founded on playful teasing and uh... disrespectful respect. It's not insulting to me at all!" Mary looked confused.

"It's kind of an unusual thing, yeah," Nick admitted. "Back when we first met we were pretty brutal to each other, to be honest. But then as it got more playful, we found ourselves using the same words, just reacting to them differently."

"Well, as long as you ah- respect each other, I suppose that's the important part," Mary said, still a bit confused. "My, love seemed so much simpler when I was young."

* * *

-Mary Anne Wilde's Rainforest District Home, 6:30 PM, Day Three-

"I've tried something new, I hope you two like it," Mary said warmly, placing bowls of salad next to Judy and Nick at her dinner table. "Lettuce with the freshest carrots I could find for that slight bit of sweetness, strawberries, which are my favorite, walnuts and almonds, and to top it off, a blueberry vinaigrette dressing."

"Ooh, this looks delicious!" Judy said in anticipation, and Nick nodded. Judy noticed Mary's dinner table was a bit large for one living alone.

"We've talked about us for basically the whole time we've been here, mom," Nick started, eating some of his salad, "how are _you_ doing, anyway?"

"Oh honey, you know how I am; we talk every week," Mary smiled, "I still have my girlfriends over for cards and we go shopping sometimes. I love being on the ground level of the Rainforest District, it's so convenient for me and my range of mobility. The temperature is just right, the humidity is great for my fur, the light is low enough so I don't have to squint or wear glasses, and the soft hush of the water falling puts me to sleep so quickly at nighttime. Thank you so much, Nicholas."

Judy thought about that expression of gratitude and how earnest it sounded while she munched on the crunchy carrots. "So Nick, when you were out making money on the streets... you were actually helping your mom get a better place to live, too? You made enough money to live way beyond that apartment you ended up in, and yet..."

"He's such a darling to his old mother, isn't he?" Mary smiled in pride and gratitude.

"You are not old, mother," Nick said in slight annoyance, "and good grief! We were on your life for like _ten seconds_ and now it's back to me again?"

"Nicholas really is so sweet, hm, Judy?" Mary tilted her head in Judy's direction.

"The best," Judy nodded enthusiastically, having another bite of salad. Nick sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Very well, I guess I can bore you with some more of my mom-ventures," Mary giggled, "you know I like doing puzzles, sometimes I play Scarabble with some of Judy's relatives with my phone." Judy looked interested at this. "Oh, Judy, I was going to try to get your size, before you leave. I was going to knit you and Nicholas some matching sweaters for the winter."

Judy gasped at this, perking up. "Oh my gosh, yes please! That would be so great! I can just see him and I walking down the streets in cozy sweaters...!" Judy squinted her eyes shut, seeming to radiate happiness. Nick and Mary both blinked a bit at her enthused reaction.

"Sometimes she still surprises me at how... bubbly she is?" Mary said with trepidation at Nick.

"Now you know what I live with, mom," Nick smirked, and Judy shot him a wry smile. "And, gotta say, I really do like it." Judy's smile slowly became warmer and Nick returned a smile as well. Mary was quite content to look at them and take in the warmth of their affectionate gazes. Their dinner passed in relative peace, but Mary suddenly couldn't help herself from asking one more question.

"Now, dears, you'll have to excuse an old, nosy vixen for asking but-" Mary started.

"You're not _old_ , mother," Nick interrupted insistently.

"I'm getting there, Nicholas," Mary laughed softly. "Anyway, I don't suppose you two know if you're able to have kits together, do you?"

Judy and Nicks pupils both became like pinpricks, and Judy dropped her fork. Their eyes darted to and fro from each other, Mary, and nothing in particular. Nick hoped the air around their ears wasn't sizzling.

"Oops!" Mary said lightly with a sheepish grin at the discomfort she was clearly causing them. "Forget I said anything!"

* * *

-Express Train to Bunnyburrow, 11:00 AM, Day Four-

"'Forget I said anything'," Nick scoffed, sitting next to Judy on the train, their luggage under their chairs. "I can't believe mom asked that..."

"Well, I have to admit I didn't know," Judy said, trying to stay vague since they were in public. "I mean, I had done a little research before and..."

Nick blinked. "You have? So you _do_ know?"

"The answer is a resounding 'maybe'," Judy lifted a finger up timidly. "It's not exactly a well-researched science, after all..."

"I... guess we'll have to keep that in mind, then," Nick said, feeling a sudden responsibility. Judy looked away for a second.

"Speaking of things on my mind," Judy started, "there's something I need to tell you about us going to Bunnyburrow. I haven't... told them yet. About us."

"What?" Nick said, still quietly. "You haven't told your folks we're in love?" At that, a pig couple sitting next to Nick overheard this and scooted slightly away from him. Nick's ears flattened and he felt a flare of irritation. "Yeah, yeah, a fox and a bunny! Freaks of nature, right? I can smell your misgivings!"

"Nick!" Judy blurted in astonishment. "Don't cause a scene!"

"Why, are you suddenly ashamed, too?" Nick grit his teeth at her.

"No," Judy said firmly, her brow furrowed and then she continued, very loudly. "I LOVE YOU." More eyes turned to look at the two, more than even Nick's outburst had caused. Judy then became quiet again, "...I just don't think we should cause a scene."

"Y-you're right, Judy, I'm sorry," Nick said, catching himself. "That's unlike me to let it get to me and _show_ it. I just... it makes me so frustrated whenever people look at us and see something detestable."

"How could you think I was ashamed of _us_?" Judy look a little hurt.

"Judy, please..." Nick asked for forgiveness, "it's just, what you just said. You haven't told your _parents_. Some of the only people who's opinion actually matters."

"I will tell them, that's my responsibility," Judy said, placing both hands to her chest, "but look at who you're dealing with, here. You're the most perfect person in the _world_ for me, and look how long it took me to realize that. I'm my parent's daughter, after all. Where do you think all of those backwards views came from in the first place?"

"Judy I... I mean, don't you think with us together this long they've figured it out anyway? Put two and two together?" Nick looked lost.

Judy gave a pained smile. "I told you we bunnies are good at multiplication, not addition."

"Okay then," Nick chuckled, both starting to feel a little better. "But in my mind, if we told them awhile ago, maybe it would have softened the blow once we actually got there." Judy shook her head.

"I've been thinking about this a lot, Nick," Judy said, holding up two fingers, "There are _two_ major establishments we need on our side to make this easier for us." She held up one finger. "One, the Hopps rumor mill. The less time it has to spin, the better. If we told them early on, the rumors would distort and twist at light speed and all of a sudden in those rumors you would become an ex-con that wanted me to join you in a life of crime or something. If we're _there_ , we can stymie the rumors just by being able to dispel them." Nick blinked at this surge of information.

"And... two?" Nick was interested. Judy smirked deviously.

"The clusterfluffle."

"The," Nick spurt out a laugh, "oh, your horde of siblings?"

"That's right, your," Judy made air-quotes, "'favorite' part of visiting my family. They're quite useful for bending the popular opinion." She made doe eyes. "'Daddy? What do you mean you don't like Nick? I _love_ Nick, he's so cool!' 'Mommy, why _can't_ Nick be a part of our family?' You see?"

"Ma'am, please forgive me for ever doubting you," Nick grinned, "I forgot just how good you were about looking dumb then suddenly pulling a plan out of that tiny fluffy tail." He snuck a slight skritch of his fingers through it.

"Hey!" Judy flinched her rear off the seat for a moment. "Okay, I'll forgive you, this time." She winked as the train pulled in. Before the two got up, Judy noticed a female squirrel was looking at the two of them.

"I don't know if this means anything," the squirrel said, "but I think you two make a lovely couple."

* * *

-Bunnyburrow Station, 12:00 PM, Day Four-

Nick carried their luggage off onto the small station platform. He smiled at there being very few buildings in sight. What a welcome escape, he thought, sighing tranquilly. He looked around and didn't notice too many animals except for the ones arriving and departing.

"Boy, the welcoming committee gets smaller each time we show up," Nick shrugged his shoulders, looking around with one hand on his forehead, shielding his eyes from the midday sun. Judy lit up as she caught sight of someone.

"But I know _someone_ I can always count on to greet me or say goodbye at the train platform...!" Judy said, about ready to burst with happiness. "Jenny!" A light gray rabbit that looked very slightly shorter and younger than Judy, but otherwise very similar looking, rushed up to hug her.

"Judy! Nick!" Jenny exulted, with Nick smiling at the bunny's energetic hug of her sister.

"Wait, JENNY?" Nick marveled loudly. "Isn't this the kit from that photograph you have at the apartment? The _tiny_ little kit?"

"Uh huh, Jenny Fur Hopps!" Judy smiled, "I barely recognize you, Jenny, you've grown up so much in these five years. You're fifteen, now?"

Jenny nodded. "Mhm, just a couple of days ago. I'm so glad you and Nick are visiting. I've missed you!"

"Missed you too!"

"Heya Nick," Jenny smiled at him after she released her hug, "you'll have a slightly easier time from now on at our place. Mom finally stopped having kits, so the youngest are five or six or so. None of the tiny screechers."

"Ah, that sounds great," Nick chuckled, "the perfect age to be read stories to. I brought a few books for us to read if they want."

"He is so sweet!" Jenny put her hands on her hips, impressed. "No wonder you love him so much!" Nick blinked.

"Carrots, I thought you _just_ said you hadn't told everyone yet," Nick nudged her.

"Jenny isn't 'everyone', Nick, she's my favorite sister," Judy smirked.

"Ouch, you can _do_ that?" Nick asked defensively.

"Bunny culture is a _bit_ different, Nick," Judy explained. "With hundreds of siblings, we stopped pretending we wouldn't play favorites many generations ago."

"Oh, ol' Jayce Son Hopps is here for you to take your luggage," Jenny indicated. "Jayce!" A lanky, slightly tall cream-colored bunny with a smirk on headed over to Nick as Jenny waved him over.

"How's it going, Slick Nick?" Jayce asked, shaking his hand. "Want me to get your things?"

"Nick's plenty strong to carry them," Judy protested. "He's a strong fox."

"Judy's stronger," Nick explained, "she can have me on my back in less than a second if she wills it."

"Ouch, I dunno if I'd admit to that," Jayce chuckled. "Oh well, if I don't have to carry bags, that's fine with me." Nick continued to carry them. Jenny threw him some keys.

"I guess you can drive back then, Jayce," Jenny said. Judy looked aghast.

"Jenny! You aren't old enough to drive yet!"

"Well, got my learner's, and the cops aren't very thick out here anyway, so..." Jenny giggled, kicking out her feet as they walked.

"Jenny, _we're_ cops, you fluffy doof!" Judy indicated herself and Nick.

"Gonna be fun, huh, Nick?" Jayce grinned.

"Oh yeah," Nick actually looked pretty pleased.

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Compound Main Entry Hall, 1:30 PM, Day Four-

"Nick! Nick! It's Nick, everyone!"  
"Nick, did you bring me any candy?"  
"You look smaller than last time! Or am I bigger?"  
"Nick, you're so cool! Gimme a hug!"  
"Hey Nick is it true that Judy can beat you up even though you're a fox?"  
"Nick! Come play Super Bash Bunnies with us!"

Nick sighed as at least a dozen bunnies were in his personal space already. He could feel his grip on his luggage loosening as curious bunnies pulled it away, probably to unpack and ransack it, he guessed. He hoped he would see it again. "Judy, why does this always happen? You only have two kids on you. I have like fourteen. We've been away from them for the same amount of time."

Judy laughed, hugging the closest bunnies to her, her ears soaking in the familiar din of the Hopps household. "It's because you're just that interesting, Nick. They grew up with me. Even if I'm a weird city-slicker now, they were around me for many years." Nick felt himself slowly being pulled to the ground by all of the grasping, hugging, fluffy hands. He laid there with his eyes half lid as bunnies crawled all over him, playing with his ears and nose.

"Your ears are so short."  
"How come you hang around Judy so much, Nick? Do you like her?"  
"His tail's so long an' fluffy!" a bunny wrapped it around herself.  
"I found a storybook! Are you gonna read to us again, Nick?"  
"What's all these ties for anyway?"  
"Nick, do you have a car?"

"This isn't such a bad way to go, I guess," Nick grumbled, but then grinned a bit. "Heya kids. Good to see you all."

"Hi Nick!" Several enthusiastic bunnies yelled out and latched onto him simultaneously at his greeting. He tried to struggle to his feet with the weight of several bunnies clinging to him. Judy smiled at seeing her gray bunny mother and slightly portly cream bunny father approaching. The three shared a big hug.

"Now kids, you be gentle with that poor fox," Bonnie Hopps said. "Hello sweetheart. Was your trip pleasant?"

"Yeah, no problems," Judy smiled. She tended to sneak in little white lies when talking to her parents without even realizing it.

"Good to see you, honeybun," Stu Hopps said, his voice wavering a bit in emotion. "You know we always love to get to see you."

"Alright, well!" Judy broke from her hug and clasped both of her hands together. "Mom, dad. I have something to tell you. Nick and I are in love."

An incredibly rare moment of complete silence descended on the Hopps entry hall as pairs of ears all over turned to listen to what Judy had just said. Nick, Bonnie, and Stu looked equally terrified. Bunny noses throughout the hall twitched at the sudden silence. Then, before too much longer, the din started up again and Nick had several more bunnies clinging to him. His knees buckled a bit as he strained under their weight, starting to groan in discomfort.

"You love Judy, Nick!?"  
"Wow Nick, you must be really something. Judy is super picky."  
"Is Judy like your princess, Nick?"  
"Do you two kiss an' stuff?"  
"Are you gonna get _married_?"  
"Aw, I wanted Nick to be MY boyfriend..."

"Y-yes, that is accurate," Nick struggled under the weight of the curious children. "I do love Judy."

"Oh my," Bonnie said, looking quite surprised. Stu had a sort of lonesome, sad expression on his face. He turned to walk away. "Oh, Stu..."

"Dad!" Judy called after him. Nick winced apprehensively.

"Oh, just give your father some time, Judy," Bonnie flicked her wrist at Judy. "You know how emotional he gets." Judy yelped as she had her own group of bunnies to deal with now, several more glomping onto her.

"Judy, Nick is your special favorite?"  
"Judy, are you gonna kiss Nick?"  
"Why do you want a fox boyfriend?"  
"Aren't you scared of Nick at all? He's so big!"  
"I like Nick a lot, Judy, I'm glad you do too!"  
"Do you love Nick, Judy?"

"Oh goodness," Judy said, "I almost forgot what this was like. Um, yes, guys, I love Nick..."

"Be careful with your sister," Bonnie admonished. Before long, Stu came out slowly again, carrying a tackle box and two fishing rods. He wandered over to the pile of bunnies that he knew Nick was under.

"Kids, leave that fox alone," Stu said calmly, and the kids scattered at the gentle command of their father's voice. Nick gasped for air. "Nick, would you like to go fishing with me? Alone?"

"Ah, yes, sure! Of course," Nick picked himself up and offered to carry the tackle box with his hands outstretched. He was given it, and one of the rods. Nick shot a look to Judy. Judy flashed her teeth in a hopeful wince and crossed her fingers at him.

"So much for the clusterfluffle," Nick chuckled to himself.

"Whats a clusterfluffle?"  
"Nick did you know a fluffle is a group of bunnies?"  
"Yeah, like us!"  
"No fair, daddy, I want to go fishing too!"  
"Why's dad wanna go fishing?"  
"Bring him back soon, please! I want a story!"

Judy turned as Stu and Nick headed out the front door, but had lost sight of her mother.

"Mom?" Judy called out. One of her brothers pointed in the direction of the primary clothes washing area, and Judy nodded at him and headed that way.

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Compound Main Clothes Washing/Drying area, 2:00 PM, Day Four-

Judy headed into the long hallway lined with many washing and drying machines. She caught sight of several of her brothers and sisters doing laundry, until finally she saw her mother. Rushing over, she started to help fold clothes next to her.

"Sweetheart," Bonnie said distastefully, "you can't be doing laundry on your vacation."

"I just want to talk to you, mom," Judy said, continuing to fold clothing.

"About what, dear?"

"About what," Judy sputtered, "about Nick, mom! Will you please let me talk about the love of my life?"

"Judy," Bonnie sighed, "I've been learning a lesson all these years about you, and that's that I will never understand or succeed in meddling with your goals in life."

"It's not that hard to get, mom," Judy said in slight frustration, "he's so nice to my siblings, he's polite to you and dad, he helps out on the farm when he can, and he's the most trustworthy cop in the ZPD."

"Well besides that last bit," Bonnie said, "that's about the least you could ask for in a rabbit suitor."

"But it goes beyond that, mom," Judy kept frantically gesturing, "that's all you know about him on the surface, that he's a nice guy. But he's a _great_ guy. I've trusted him with my life several times, and he's had his in my hands too, and I've never let go! He's so sweet, kind, and gentle, beneath that snarky exterior. He knows just what to say to me when I'm down, or make me even happier when I didn't think I could be. When I peeled back all of his layers, which took a long time, believe me, do you know what I found? I found the other half of _me_. The half I didn't know I was missing." Judy started to sniffle.

"Oh, honey," Bonnie looked shocked. "What a strange, wonderful world we live in. I would never have thought a bunny could have a fox as a soulmate."

"A SOULMATE?" Judy yelped incredulously.

"You know I've always been able to read you, Judy," Bonnie went on. "Your ears are flat and your nose is twitching. You're so anxious even _thinking_ about what would happen if you couldn't be with Nick. You're terrified of losing him, even metaphorically. I can't stand in the way of you getting to be with your soulmate, honey. In fact, I'm on board now. 100%. ...Or, maybe 90%."

"90%...?" Judy gave a weak sobbing chuckle, wiping her eyes.

"You know I think Nick is a darling, dear," Bonnie said, "and I don't think any less of him for being a fox. But there are no predator/prey relationships! It's just not _done_! You put yourself in danger every day on the job, Judy. Now, socially, you will be the target of irrational hatred as well, from those who cannot or will not understand just why you think he's so special. You've been breaking down stereotypes of bunnies all your life, I just don't want you to get hurt in the process."

"Nothing could hurt me as much as not getting to be with Nick," Judy said gently, giving a gentle hiccup. "Nothing. We already got disapproving looks when we were out together even when I didn't know I loved him. I just waved my arms and shot nasty looks right back. But now I don't care. Their petty opinions are nothing to me. I don't care who I offend, or even inspire, by loving Nick. I just NEED him."

"My heavens, Judy," Bonnie smiled. "You're turning me into a believer with every passing minute. Should we keep the rest of your sisters away from him while he's over in case he charms them, too?"

"Oh, mom," Judy giggled, giving her a hug, which Bonnie kindly returned.

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Lakeside, 2:00 PM, Day Four-

Nick and Stu sat near the edge of the lake on a dock, both of them casting their fishing rods. Nick felt quite anxious, which he thought was funny, because not only was Stu as small as Judy, he was also very kind and never cross with Nick.

"So, Nick," Stu gave a smile, "you love my daughter, huh?"

"I do, sir," Nick said respectfully.

"Oh, come on," Stu slapped the air in front of himself with one arm in a jolly fashion, "I can't have you calling me that. Just Stu is fine." There was a pause. "I know she owes you her life."

"Well, about that," Nick thought, "I think the score is a bit muddy there. I'm not sure who owes who now, to be honest."

"Did I tell you about the first time Judy got into it with a fox?" Stu asked. Nick shook his head. "She was a fairly young thing, and she got attacked by this nasty fox just for standing up for her friends."

Nick's jaw dropped in horror. "What...?"

"Yup," Stu nodded, "If you get close enough to her left cheek you can still see the scars. When she left for Zootopia, I wanted her to be protected. I gave her fox repellent, deterrent, and even a Taser! I uh, don't have any of those anymore, in case you were worried." Nick still looked intense.

"This explains a lot," Nick muttered.

"When Jude left, she would only take the repellent, and then only to quiet me up," Stu chuckled. "She was so determined to break the mold of what she thought of everyone, and everyone thought of her. Anyway, one time, I was at a fair, talking to Bon, and I picked a free sample cookie from a stand. And dang, if it wasn't the tastiest cookie I ever had, not that I'd admit that to Bon. And wouldn't you know who the person at the stand was? That same fox! Once I recognized him, I was about to give him a talking to that would leave his ears ringing for the next week."

"But...?" Nick prodded.

"Before I could say anything, he apologized very sincerely," Stu recalled. "He wasn't asking for my forgiveness, just that he wanted me to know how much he regret what he did. I was impressed. I'd never heard such sincerity from a fox. So, I decided his pastries could use a little of the Hopps family fruit and signed him on as a business partner."

"Wait, was that Gideon Gray? That kind, down-to-earth, portly fox?" Nick marveled.

"One and the same!" Stu chuckled, looking up at the sky and shaking his head. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm being punished for my old views on foxes by having two stand-up ones in my life."

"Well, Stu, I can appreciate there's a big difference between someone wanting to be your business partner and someone wanting to be your daughter's partner," Nick said, and then coughed. "Er, as it were."

"Oh, I love ya to death, Nick, you know that," Stu pushed Nick gently. "I just had to get all that out, you know? Clear my soul a bit. You know how emotional we bunnies can get."

"Judy never told me about Gideon Grey," Nick frowned. "It would have explained so much."

"I bet she just wanted a fresh start, son," Stu smiled broadly. "No excuses in her new life, you know? She was gonna be a cop and no one was gonna stop her."

"Yeah," Nick chuckled, "Huh... 'son'..."

"Oops, that just kinda slipped out there," Stu laughed, "I thought I'd give it a try, you know? I love giving my family nicknames, you know, but your name is _already_ Nick!" He ribbed Nick in the side.

"Family, hmm?" Nick nodded, giving a warm chuckle. "You know what, I really appreciate that. I really, really do. I hope it wouldn't be too weird if I kinda uh... give you a little sideways hug or something." Nick tried putting his arm around Stu, who reciprocated the gesture.

"Haha, not at all," Stu laughed, his eyes getting a little misty, "ah cripes, gotta keep those waterworks shut off." He kept it together, barely.

"So, do fish actually come biting here, or..." Nick wondered.

"Oh not usually," Stu said warmly, "just come out here to have an excuse to think."

"Can I ask you a few more things about Judy?"

"Oh, of course!" Stu bounced his head up brightly. "That's what I'm here for! Embarrassing stories, trivia bits, you name it! You got me here all afternoon if you want me!"

Nick smiled happily. He knew he was going to enjoy the rest of the day.

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Compound Main Living Area, 10:00 PM, Day Five-

"You know," Judy said, setting up blankets and pillows near the curvature of the enormous couch in the main living area, "I know we slept here last night, but we probably could have just evacuated one of the many, many bedrooms for us. Probably would have only thrown off a half dozen or so bunnies who had to sleep somewhere else."

"Oh, only a half dozen," Nick said, fluffing a pillow. "Sorry Fluff, but that still is kind of a weird thing from my perspective."

"You're so cute," Judy grinned, gazing at him in his soft cottony t-shirt and shorts, the likes of which she was also wearing.

"Judy, when you say cute to a fox, it's kinda, eh," Nick held out his hand and wobbled it.

"Oh hush," Judy smirked, leaping onto the couch with Nick. They turned to watch some TV.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this," Nick said, looking at one of the many TV screens, looking at all the moving parts they had in back as they could even be combined seamlessly to create one enormous screen. "This is supposed to be suburbia, but in some ways it feels like _this_ place is where the future is, not Zootopia. So many accommodations for so many bunnies." He looked left and right, seeing a few bunnies relaxing on the further ends of the couch, watching other shows. "Well, no-bunny seems to be watching us right now."

"Finally," Judy grinned mischievously, placing her hands on his shoulders, leaning into Nick.

"Heya!" Jenny popped her head over the back of the couch, vaulting over it and landing next to Judy.

"Really?" Judy sighed. "Ah, hey Jenny." Jenny nodded over to Nick.

"Hey Nick, I think this is the first time I've seen you without a tie on," Jenny gave him a cheeky grin, which he returned slyly. "What is it with you and those things anyway?"

"Well, I finally learned what his ties are for," Judy said, starting to tie an invisible tie around Nick. "If Nick is wearing a tie, I can do... this." Judy started pulling on the invisible tie, and Nick obediently leaned forward as if he really was compelled to. Judy leaned in to kiss him, and he gave her a brief smooch. The two chuckled affectionately.

"Wow," Jenny rolled her eyes.

"I hope you don't think your fox-smooching sister is too weird," Judy laughed.

"Of course she is," Jenny laughed in reply. "That's why I like her so much. And I guess I can kiiiinda see what you see in him? He is a little bit handsome, I _guess_."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Nick quipped. "We foxes are all very handsome. Maybe you'll find your own one day."

"I dunno if I'm into _that_ ," Jenny gave a playful, fake shiver, "I idolize my sister, but I'm not going to follow her to the letter."

"Oh, speaking of," Judy asked. "How's your dream going?"

"Still on track," Jenny pumped her arm. "Three more years of high school, then I'm going into training to join the Zootopia Fire Department."

"Whoa, an admirable goal!" Nick nodded, impressed.

"I'm so proud, Jenny," Judy smiled.

"I think dad will be happy to have me out of the house," Jenny admitted, "I've already gotten into trouble by kicking a few doors off their hinges while practicing forced entry." Judy laughed.

"God, there's two of them," Nick put his hand on his forehead, shaking his head.

"And since I'm a bunny, I can be really low to the ground and get into some places others can't," Jenny practiced crawling extremely close to the ground on the couch. Nick laughed in amusement.

"Yeah, always be ready to use your advantages," Judy agreed. "You'll need them."

"Anyway, just wanted to bother ya," Jenny grinned, holding up her phone. "I don't have a picture of you two together yet. Get in close!" Judy was a bit surprised as Nick complied immediately, and she smiled nervously for the picture, before trying to calm down to give them a nice moment to remember.

"Nice," Jenny grinned, admiring the picture.

"Aren't we a little under-dressed, though?" Judy wondered.

"Yeah," Jenny smirked, "that's why this is gonna look great on social media. Ha-HA! See ya, sucker!" She leaped back over the couch and took off across the room.

"Why you... Jenny!" Judy leaped up, but Nick put her hand on her shoulder.

"Aw, let her go, she got us," Nick smirked.

"But she's..."

"Exactly like you?" Nick laughed. "That was a grade-A hustle there."

"Fine," Judy relented, collapsing on top of Nick and starting to settle down. "Two days to go."

"Aw, don't be like that," Nick said. "Bonnie's on board now, Stu loves us, we got it."

"I'm surprised you're not sick of here yet," Judy said, snuggling in, "usually the clusterfluffle has gotten to you by now."

"Eh, got more important things to worry about," Nick grinned, "like keeping this bunny happy." Judy smiled in appreciation as they cuddled up to prepare for rest, the low, indistinct noises coming from multiple TVs serving as an odd kind of white noise. Surprisingly, they both slept through the night.

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Blueberry Fields, 4:30 PM, Day Six-

"Ah, finally," Nick sighed to himself as he and Judy strolled through the fields, "it feels like it's been forever since I've only had one bunny in sight." He looked around warily to make sure there wasn't anyone else around. Judy chuckled.

"Yeah, this is probably the first time we've really been alone since we got here," Judy smiled to herself. "So, when you said you wanted to be alone with me for a bit, that's why I suggested we come out here. The blueberries aren't ready to be picked yet, and they've already been watered, so there's no one else around."

"Well, luckily there's something I care about in this field a _lot_ more than blueberries," Nick smirked.

"Aw, you charmer," Judy punched Nick's arm gently.

"You're wearing that pink shirt from the time under the bridge," Nick observed wistfully. Judy nodded, giving a cheerful "mhm!" They walked for a little bit longer before Nick spoke again.

"Judy, you remember when we first moved in together?"

"Of course!" Judy replied joyfully.

"Our first snuggle? Our first real date? First kiss? When we confessed our love to each other?" Nick wasn't looking directly at Judy.

"I'd never forget any of those!" Judy happily took Nick's hand in hers.

"What did all of those have in common?" Nick's voice was oddly even.

"They were all wonderful moments that brought us closer together," Judy said, gently swinging Nick's arm with hers.

"That, and..." Nick paused both his words and their walk, standing still, "all of them were started by you."

"Huh?" Judy stopped walking as well, confused, but thought about this, "I mean, I guess you're right? So?"

"I've..." Nick started, "I've made you do all the heavy lifting in this relationship. You've had to push me wherever you wanted to go. ...No, wherever we _needed_ to go. That's all been on you."

"Nick..." Judy said gently, "I don't mind at all. I know you have a different type of personality than me. I'm all gung-ho and vivacious, and you're, well, a bit more subdued. It's just how we are."

"But it's not entirely fair, to you or me," Nick sighed, "I want to do something important for us. But, deep down, sometimes I feel like a scared little kit again."

"Nick, come on..." Judy was getting a bit worried.

"Judy, reach into my shirt pocket and take out what you find there," Nick said evenly. Judy gave a terse gasp of surprise, but did as she was asked. She smiled as she felt a familiar shape, pulling out her carrot recorder pen.

"Oh, the pen!" Judy said, brightening up. "What trouble this got us into, and out of." She giggled happily. "Do you want me to listen to something you've recorded on it?" She went to press the button, and Nick felt his breath speed up till he was practically panting. He suddenly dropped to his knees and pulled her wrist away from the pen.

"W-wait!" Nick begged.

"Nick?" Judy was back to being perplexed. Nick opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His jaw only slightly trembled. His grip on Judy's wrist loosened. There was a moment of awkwardness. Judy's expression melted from worry, and, surprisingly, moved to a rather coy look.

"Before I press this button, let's make a deal," Judy said impishly. Nick's eyebrow cocked in confusion.

"A deal?" Nick asked, then suddenly said: "No, come on, Carrots, just press the button, _please_. I'm on my knees here, literally."

"I am going to predict how I will react to whatever's on this pen," Judy ignored him playfully. "If I guess correctly, you have to do one thing for me. If I guess wrong, I have to do one thing for you. Whatever you want." Nick looked confused and perhaps a bit scared.

"Y-you want me to just hand you over a blank check like that?"

"Only if I win! Well, do you trust me or not?" Judy smirked, lolling her ears to the side and waggling the pen a bit, calling to Nick's mind the first time she had ever hustled him.

"If it will make you press the button, I will agree to your terms, madam," Nick's shoulders dropped a bit in defeat. Judy smiled plainly in her victory, returning to a more neutral pose.

"All right then. Yes."

"Yes?" Nick was slightly confused.

"'Yes', is how I'm going to react to what's on this pen," Judy smirked. Nick's throat suddenly felt very dry.

Judy brought the pen close to her chest, squinted her eyes shut, and bit her lip. Then, she pressed the button with both of her thumbs.

Nick's voice emerged from the carrot recorder pen: "Judy Hopps, will you marry me?"

Nick's chest was visibly moving as his entire body felt on edge. Judy gave a sweet smile.

"Well," she started, and began to talk very meticulously, "it looks... like... I was... RIGHT!"

"Huhh!" Nick gave an odd combination of a gasp and a groan. His chest heaved as if he had been punched.

"So, that means I win," Judy said gleefully, "you have to do what I say."

"V-very well, Judy," Nick said, still rather confused to how events were playing out, "I am ready to humiliate myself however you deem fit."

"Oh, nothing like that," Judy grinned, and said playfully, "all I want you to do is empty your pockets."

Nick gulped as he finally wet his throat enough to swallow. Still on his knees, he took out his wallet, phone, and keys, dropping them to the ground.

"Is that it...?" Judy asked coquettishly. Nick hesitated, then reached deep into his pocket and brought out a small black ring box. He cracked it open, and when Judy caught side of a ring, she made a high-pitched squeak, a strange but adorable sound that Nick had never heard her make before. He shook himself from his trance and closed the box.

"Okay, just to be clear," Nick said, waving his free hand, "you uh... will marry me, right, Judy...?"

"Nicholas Piberius Wilde," Judy nearly shouted, "I am going to marry the _heck_ out of you! What, did you think I was going to marry the _carrot pen_? Now, SHOW ME THAT RING!"

Nick offered up the ring. It was a dainty looking gold ring, perfectly sized for one of Judy's middle fingers. The top of it had a handsomely cut emerald, which was bordered by two smaller citrine gems.

"My sweet heavens, Nick," Judy was awestruck, "It's so gorgeous!"

"Only the finest 'carrot' ring for my Carrots," Nick smirked.

"Liar!" Judy shouted happily. "You're a liar!" Nick's eyes flew open at her happy-sounding accusations. "That's citrine, right? That's not the color of a _carrot_ , that's the color of _this_!" Judy excitedly shoved one of her fingers into Nick's fur, right where the sun was hitting it, which indeed was very nearly the same color. "And this emerald, it's the color of your eyes! You want me to wear a symbol that you'll always be with me... mmh... don't try to tell me it's just a carrot, you romantic doofus!"

"You got me again," Nick said, his ears hot. "That is exactly what I was going for."

"See?" Judy said, proudly claiming the ring and slipping it on her finger. "I can see right through you too, sometimes!"

"Okay, come here, you," Nick said, getting to his feet. He lifted up Judy with both hands, one supporting under her and the other around her back.

"Whoa, Nick!" Judy squeaked happily, holding onto his shoulders for support. Nick then walked around in a circle to spin her around in his arms, her feet trailing outward behind her.

"Eeeee!" Judy squealed in delight. She felt her heart racing in excitement. Once Nick stopped, she nuzzled Nick's face all over with unrestrained affection. Nick enjoyed this for several moments, gently nuzzling back, before deftly leading her muzzle with his into a deep kiss. Judy was all too eager to join into this. Her hands squeezed and rubbed Nicks shoulders as they shared the moment. Nick softly ended the kiss and gazed into her eyes, smiling with his usual smug grin and half-lid eyes, which Judy mirrored perfectly, the shared look carrying a tone of love and understanding. Nick then gently set Judy down.

"Wanna head back?" Nick jerked his thumb in the direction of the Hopps compound.

"Truthfully? Not really," Judy admitted, "I'd rather spend the rest of the day out here with my new fiancé. But I suppose we should head back for dinner, huh?" She took his hand and they both started walking back. "I know exactly what kind of ring I'll get you..." Judy took his hand and softly traced her finger around the circumference of his middle finger. "A nice, handsome silver band to stand out against your fur and to represent mine. Then, an inlaid amethyst for my eyes."

"Mm," Nick sighed blissfully, "you'd never be able to get that ring off me."

"So it's settled, then!" Judy laughed happily, skipping in excitement. Nick continued to walk, emotionally drained from his proposal, but feeling very at peace.

"Oh, uh," Judy started, "not to break the moment, but I don't think you ever picked all your stuff back up."

"Ah, jeez," Nick slapped his forehead, releasing Judy and running back towards where he proposed. Judy laughed in delight, following him.

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Compound Main Entry Hall, 5:30 PM, Day Six-

"Judy and Nick are getting married?!"  
"Look at Judy's ring! It's so pretty!"  
"Why's it look like a carrot?"  
"Judy, you're gonna marry a fox?"  
"Does this mean Nick's gonna be our brother?"  
"Yeah! Nick's the coolest brother! A fox brother!"

Nick and Judy just had warm smiles on as they waded through the small army of curious children. A tearful Stu glomping on to Judy finally removed the two from each other, and Nick grinned, letting Stu into Judy's arms.

"Oh honeybun," Stu sobbed, "he really did it, huh? You're really gonna get married?"

"Uh huh," Judy smiled, hugging back. As he continued to weep in happiness Judy started to get a little anxious. "C'mon, dad. Dad. Dad please."

"I'm just so happy, Judy," Stu wailed. Nick chuckled and pulled out his phone, flipping through a few recent pictures he took.

"What have you got there, Nick?" Bonnie asked. Nick showed off the phone; it was a picture of Judy with a bright, toothy smile, flashing her ring for the shot. "Oh Nick, she looks so very happy there. I'll be proud to call you my son."

"I don't want to rush anything," Nick held up his arms in caution. "You can still call me Nick, or 'the fox', or whatever."

"I'll call you 'son' if I want, mister," Bonnie gave a smirk with her challenging tone, folding her arms.

"Ah," Nick nodded, "I wondered where Judy's fire came from. Because..." Nick pointed to the weeping Stu as Judy pat his back and tried to get him to calm down. "I was pretty sure it didn't come from him." Nick's phone suddenly buzzed. "Oh, it's mom. I'll just put her on MuzzleTime here." He pressed the button on his phone and stood near Bonnie so she could see them both.

"Nicholas!" Mary shouted. "You _proposed_?"

"Yeah, I-" Nick shook his head in disbelief, "what the heck? How do you already know?"

"As you might have heard," Bonnie explained, "the Hopps rumor mill travels at nearly light speed."

"And unfortunately for your privacy," Mary added, "I'm a part of it now. I play Scarabble with Bonnie." Bonnie held up her phone.

"I texted her."

"Well, anyway, yeah mom, I did propose, I really did it," Nick said, sighing, "I almost didn't. It took me 48 tries."

"She waited for you to fumble for the right words for 48 tries...?" Bonnie asked incredulously. Nick pulled out the carrot pen.

"No, it took 48 tries to get this just right," he hit the button, and his voice came out of the pen once more: "Judy Hopps, will you marry me?"

"Aww!" Both moms cooed at a very high register.

"Wait," Bonnie said, "you proposed to my daughter with a gimmicky carrot pen?"

"Oh, no Bonnie!" Mary said in explanation. "They have a huge history with that pen! You should ask them about it sometime!"

Bonnie held both of her arms up near her head in defeat, turning her head. "As long as it makes my daughter happy. Like I said, I've given up trying to understand her." Judy and Stu happened over. Judy grinned at her older siblings holding off the horde of smaller kids to let them have some time together. Among the "defense" was Jenny, who winked at Judy.

"What's going on over here, guys?" Judy asked. "Oh, hi Mary!"

"Show me that ring, Judy!" Mary commanded warmly. Judy grinned, showing it off proudly.

"Wow, it is lovely!" Mary said. "...Kinda looks like a carrot though."

"Ah I get it, that citrine," Stu nodded. "It's you isn't in, my boy?" Stu patted Nick on the chest. "I'm proud of you."

"Easy now, pops," Nick looked concerned as Stu sniffled, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"J-just, so proud..."

"Why's daddy crying?"  
"Hey do you think I can marry a fox too?"  
"Lemme at 'em! I wanna hug 'em!"  
"Why are you holding us back?"  
"Jenny, lemme go! I wanna hug Nick!"  
"Nick never told me if he has a car or not."

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Lakeside, 6:30 PM, Day Six, -

"Wow, it is gorgeous out here, and I'm not just talking about the bunny," Nick said, reclined against a tree near the lake. Judy was cuddled up contentedly against him, and made hum of approval at the compliment. "Such a nice temperature out, the sun on the lake, the rolling hills... in another life, maybe it was me who moved here, wanting to get away from all that city hustle and bustle, and met an adorable country bunny..."

"Well, in this life," Judy smirked, "you're stuck with a crazy country bunny who wants to achieve the unprecedented. Like becoming a bunny cop, or marrying a fox."

"Hm, not so bad," Nick flashed his teeth in a grin. He looked around, seeing several pairs of bunny ears around near them, who were trying to hide that they were eavesdropping. "Aw, are you kidding me? The hills have ears."

"Can you blame them, Nick?" Judy asked. "This handsome foxxie wants to marry their sister Judy, the crazy bunny who wanted to make the world a better place. There are little kids who think of us like we're from a fairy tale, teenagers pretending to watch over them that are wondering if I'm just trying to fight the establishment or something, and young adults pretending to watch _them_ that probably just want to see us kiss. The Hopps rumor mill is going to be going for some time. In fact, why don't we give it some fuel?" Nick gulped at this. "Tell me something romantic."

"Huh?" Nick sputtered. "You know I'm not that good at coming up with things like that on the fly."

"You are...!" Judy protested. "C'mon, I know you're just a big, four-foot sweetie... let me hear that smooth, even voice I love so much woo me..."

"All right, all right," Nick relented, thinking for a few seconds. "Judy, you are the most amazing female I've ever met in Zootopia." Judy's eyes began to sparkle. "And, that's not just hyperbole. Like I told you before, I know everyone. That's why I was so intrigued by this silly little country bunny in the first place. I didn't know her. But when I got to know her, she defied my jaded expectations in every possible way. I knew I needed her, but I pushed her away, and let her come after me. I'm just such an awful predator because-" Judy looked like she would interrupt with a protest, but Nick put his finger on her lips. "let me finish, I'm an awful predator because it took me five years to catch my prey. But now I have her, and she was worth every second she took to get. She's my bunny now, and I'm not ashamed to admit it."

"Mmmm... you do have me... your words are like silk... like a web you've caught me in..." Judy droned in ecstasy, her eyes shut as she wriggled her body gently against Nick's. His ears grew hot at how his words were affecting Judy, but then he thought he heard some bunnies chattering. "Don't mind them, hmhm." Judy relaxed, and there was a peaceful pause. "Judy Wilde."

Nick jerked. "C-come again? Judy Wilde? You'd take my name?"

"Why not? I kinda like the sound of it, don't you?" Judy lazily adjusted her position against Nick, snuggling in deeper.

"Well, ours is not going to be a typical marriage, is it?" Nick offered. "Maybe we should hyphenate? How does Judy Wilde-Hopps strike you?"

"Judy Wilde-Hopps," she repeated. "Sounds like the name of a secret agent!"

"We may have to become secret agents if our marriage screws things up at the ZPD," Nick grumbled.

"Don't worry about that just yet," Judy laughed, "let's just take the bridges as they come."

"That's one reason I was so afraid to propose, Judy," Nick admitted, "I would never put myself above your dreams."

"Too bad that's impossible," Judy smirked, "because I've appended my dreams to make sure you're in them. I'm still going to make the world a better place, somehow, Nick. If it's at the ZPD, that's great. But there's also things like private detectives, or maybe even secret agents, like you said. We've cracked a lot of crazy cases, maybe someone higher up has noticed us. But Chief Bogo has always respected my ability to get things done, ever since I started to crack the Night Howler case. Our marriage shouldn't change anything. We should be fine."

Nick shook his head, and shrugged. "You're right, Judy, I shouldn't worry. We only have one day left after this, one day to enjoy this great farm and the sprawling natural setting with all of its fresh, earthy smells, lovely sights, and... lots of precocious soon-to-be-in-law bunnies."

"That's the spirit," Judy laughed, kissing his cheek.


	10. Technically Partners

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 5:50 PM-

"Hey, Karen! Karen!" Judy Hopps rushed over to her fellow bunny officer, Karen Skippel. The white arctic hare turned to look at her with a blank expression, her ears were smaller than Judy's and still had tiny little black tips, just like Judy's, but they were also smaller than the gray bunny's. They looked like they could be distant cousins.

"What do you want?" Karen's light blue eyes looked as unyielding as her expression.

"Ah, Nick and I were going to go out tonight," Judy said, placing a hand on Karen's desk. "Do you want to tag along?"

Karen looked at the gray paw on her desk, and briefly, at the engagement ring on it. She turned her eyes away. "And be the third wheel on the Wilde-Hopps mobile? No."

"We, uh, don't have to do anything too mushy when we're around you," Judy hesitated. "We can go bowling, maybe? Go see a movie? Do you like laser tag? Anything you want, really."

"What I want is to be left alone, Hopps," Karen grumbled. "I'm busy. Someone else on the tech team burst right through my firewall modifications while we were testing them, so I'm back to square one there."

Judy tried not to look or sound hurt. "O-oh, are we back to being on a last-name basis? I thought we were making some progress there. You um, you helped me out so much with the Canine Virus case..."

"Just doing my job, Hopps, which I can't do when you're hovering over me."

Nick Wilde headed over to the two bunnies and put his hand on Judy's shoulder. He had his usual warm but slightly cocky smirk on. "C'mon, Carrots. She's not into it. You can't keep bothering introverts for their friendship, it just makes them resent you more."

Skippel shot her eyes over to Nicks hand, which also had an engagement ring on it, then looked up at him, her teeth grit. "What would _you_ know about introversion? You're chummy with nearly everyone in this precinct! And, you have that irritatingly smug expression on for ninety percent of the day."

Nick let the comment bounce off him without even a hint of it hitting home. "All right, Skip. I'll tell you what I know. This expression here? Five years ago, it was a mask." He brought his free paw over his face and changed it seamlessly to a hurt, genuinely sad looking one. "This is what I felt like all the time. But I never let it show, until I was alone in my apartment. I used up all of my emotional strength all day just pretending I was okay. But now, I actually do feel like this." Another wave of his hand and he was back to normal. He patted Judy's shoulder. "And I have Officer Fluff to thank for that." Judy gave a tiny smile, hoping the situation would calm down soon. "Her boundless energy lets me stay topped up on social power, so I never run low. Maybe if you gave her a chance she could un-sour your mood a little, too."

"A-all right, okay, I'm sorry," Karen grumbled, running her fingers over her flattened ears, "just... just not tonight. Ok? I'm not going to get anywhere on these firewall modifications if I don't get to work. My concentration is completely shot, and if I went out with you guys tonight I'd probably end up freaking out and ruining everything."

"Okay, it's okay," Judy held up her paws near her chest defensively, "let's go, Nick." The two left Karen alone. Karen stared hard at her three computer screens, unable to concentrate. Even though she was voluntarily staying late, she couldn't get anything done.

"Ugh!" Karen shoved her keyboard away from her, putting her head in her hands. She got up, got her things, and made her way off.

* * *

-The Wet Wolf Whistle, 8:00 PM-

Karen entered the Wet Wolf Whistle, a Savanna Central bar known colloquially as the W3. She headed over to the counter, looking at all the variously sized chairs. Even the smallest one was a little big for a bunny. She grit her teeth, summoning up her meager strength after the trying day and leaped into the chair. She nearly fell off it as it started to spin a bit, but she steadied herself. A friendly-looking brown horse bartender caught sight of her and nodded at her.

"One Bahama Mammal, please," Karen grumbled. "Extra small." The horse nodded again and before long pushed her over a small, fruity alcoholic drink. Karen sipped it slowly. She thought about Judy, how she kept pushing away her invitations for friendship and socializing. Looking away, she stared at the counter and grit her teeth. She knew it was because she was incredibly envious of her and Nick. They both made the perfect partners; they were as good together as peanut butter and jelly. They both relied on each other without even needing words, using each others unique abilities to compliment and protect the other.

Karen looked around at the various mammals at the little watering hole. She knew she was just a technical officer at the ZPD, no one really relied on her or trusted her. But that was okay to her, wasn't it? She'd grown up alone; her mother died during childbirth so she had no siblings, unusual for a bunny. Karen never really made any close friends, but recently she felt like there was a growing void in her heart. She had to admit she didn't know how to fill it.

There was a good variety of animals at the Wet Wolf Whistle. Male and female, predator and prey. Karen gave looks to a lot of them, flinching as a rhino passed her by. Some animals were so big. But looking at all of them, she didn't know if there were any she actually found attractive. She sighed, taking another sip of her drink. They all just looked like details to her. She saw a sheep that had slight claw marks on her handbag. Victim of an attempted robbery, perhaps? There was a sneaky looking female ferret and otter in the corner, whispering to each other. They were probably up to no good, Skippel scoffed.

Trying to stop thinking so much, Karen finished off and paid for her drink. Shortly thereafter, she started to feel strange. She shook her head. Karen knew she was a lightweight when it came to alcohol, but one tiny fruity drink shouldn't have made her feel this odd. She got out of her chair, staggering as the floor came up on her faster than she thought. A few concerned mammals turned to look at her, and she held up a hand to indicate she didn't need any help. She made her way to the door, her steps heavy. She felt like she was falling. She headed outside; it was raining.

Something was definitely wrong. Karen could barely move her body, or keep her eyes open.

"Nn...what's- whats happening...?" Karen tried to head towards the subway. "Maybe if I can make it to, to the subway train..."

Karen gave a whimper as her feet gave out and she collapsed onto the sidewalk. Her senses were quickly abandoning her. She thought she heard heavy footsteps behind her briefly, but then she knew no more.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 8:00 AM-

"All right you rowdy animals, get quiet!" Chief Bogo shouted, slamming his files down on the podium of the briefing room. He saw Judy anxiously bouncing in her seat with a worried expression, and cocked an eyebrow. "Hopps? Did you forget to go to the bathroom?"

"No sir," Judy said, looking over at the one empty chair in the room, "it's Officer Skippel... she's not here!" Chief Bogo looked uncaring for a minute, then closed his mouth grimly.

"She has never missed a day, much less without calling," Bogo said lowly. He put on his glasses and looked at his files. "Hopps, you and Wilde don't have anything important scheduled today. See if you can find her." Judy and Nick nodded.

"Well someone's a bit anxious," Nick said as the two of them headed over to Judy's cubicle.

"Nick, I don't think Karen has ever done _anything_ off schedule," Judy said, sitting at her desk. "I've timed her starting her lunch break on three separate occasions. She starts them at the same exact minute."

"Wow, that's not obsessive or anything," Nick rolled his eyes.

"I know, she's so meticulous that-"

"I mean you," Nick interrupted her, "you never give her a break." Judy sighed.

"I know she's kinda having a hard time here," Judy explained. "She opened up to me, briefly, like you did on the gondola. But unlike you, she closed back up and won't let me back in."

"Okay, first we need to calm down," Nick said, rubbing Judy's shoulders. "Let's start at the beginning."

"You don't think she might have... _done_ anything to herself, do you?" Judy worried. "She was so upset looking last night."

"That would _not_ be the beginning, that would be an unfortunate ending," Nick said evenly. "Let's call her on her cellphone."

"Oh, right," Judy shook her head, picking up her phone. "Not that I think she'd answer me, but... no, straight to voicemail."

"That means it's off," Nick said. "She probably wouldn't keep it off, so something's probably wrong."

"Rgh!" Judy grumbled in both worry and frustration. "Neither you or I know what she does or where she goes after work. If she would just have let us hang out with her once or twice, we might have some ideas."

"Easy, girl," Nick cautioned. "Let's get in the cruiser and drive around the general area. We can ask at some establishments, see if anyone saw her. Not too many arctic hares in Savanna Central."

"Okay, yeah," Judy grabbed her things. "Let's go."

* * *

-Abandoned Warehouse, Savanna Central Outskirts, 9:00 AM-

Karen moaned as consciousness slowly returned to her. Her body still was still not fully responding to her; her blurry vision caught sight of a rhinoceros in front of her. She yelped and her eyes flew open. She was unrestrained, in a small office with a computer. Her head hurt a lot.

"Bout time you got up, sleeping beauty," the rhino grunted in annoyance. "The names Grit Hornbody, or that's what I'm going to tell you, anyway. And this," he gave her a small card. "Is my offshore bank account number."

"What... who...?" Karen was extremely confused. Her mind's fog wouldn't clear, especially at the incredibly unusual and scary situation she found herself in.

"I know you're the technical whiz at the ZPD," Grit said. "So, here's what you're going to do. Use that egghead to hack some bank accounts and make me a very, very rich rhino. By the end of the day, if you don't mind. This ain't a hotel, and I'm not a babysitter. If I'm not pleased by the end of the night, you're dead."

Karen felt a burst of terror hit her, and her nose began twitching. "Wh-what? I can't do that...!"

"Can't?" Grit moved closer. "Or won't? Either way, you're gonna hope you change your mind really soon." Grit growled menacingly and thrust his head forwards. He used the front of his horn to press her against the wall. Karen screamed out and began crying uncontrollably.

"No, please!" Karen begged.

"Any time you spend stalling is time I'm not getting any richer," Grit said dangerously, pressing his horn closer to her, starting to squeeze her against the wall. Karen began to gasp and tremble, giving a screech of pure terror. "So, GET TO WORK!"

Overwhelmed, Karen's eyes rolled back and she slumped to the floor, her absolute terror obliterating her senses. Grit groaned.

"Of for..." he stomped away and came back with a large cup of water, which he poured over Karen.

"Hnh!" Karen started, and started to gasp and cough.

"Boy, the ZPD sure hires the best and the bravest, don't they?" Grit mocked in a dark tone. Realizing she wasn't having some sort of intense nightmare, Karen went back to sobbing, her fear and the chill of the water making her shiver. Grit pointed at the computer.

"Go, there's the computer," he said in a lower tone so she wouldn't pass out again. "It's got internet. Download what you need and make me my money." He held up his phone. "I've got a feed of the account on my phone. I want to see this number be nice and fat. Oh, and if I catch you doing anything suspicious..." He held up Karen's phone. She patted herself as if unbelieving it was taken from her. He dropped it on the ground and stomped on it. Karen cringed. When her eyes opened again the phone was in more pieces than she would have imagined it was even made of.

Karen sniveled, trying to dry her hands on the back of her pants, anywhere that wasn't already wet. She sat down hard at the computer chair, still in disbelief. Trying to keep from losing herself again, she grumbled, hiccuping, as she started downloading some programs.

"You bunnies are such a joke," Grit said, "you're like a bunch of babies. You never grow up. So tiny and pathetic."

Karen cringed again, wondering if she would even make it through the day before he killed her.

* * *

-Streets of Savannah Central, 12:00 PM-

Nick and Judy walked down the streets. Both of them had notes that they were flipping through.

"Okay, we haven't found anything about Skippel, but apparently YOU were stumbling drunk out of the W3 last night," Nick gave a chuckle.

"You know that's not true," Judy said in slight frustration, "do Karen and I really look that similar?"

"Maybe to someone who isn't detail oriented," Nick shrugged, "also, uh, one of the two rabbit officers of the ZPD is a lot more popular."

"Sometimes I feel like I'm giving her a hard time just by existing," Judy grumbled, then looked at her notes. "Anyway, someone thought they saw her coming out of the W3, very drunk, but when they looked again she was gone."

"Sounds like she was taken, then," Nick grimaced. "I think we should go back to the station and see if there's anything suspicious on the traffic cams. Maybe any radio chatter of someone noticing any unusual cars anywhere."

"Okay, I'll talk to Clawhauser and you get the traffic cameras up," Judy nodded, jumping into her cruiser.

* * *

-Abandoned Warehouse, Savanna Central Outskirts, 12:30 PM-

Karen continued to work on the computer in the warehouse. She could feel the rhinoceros staring at her, and was kind of relieved she hadn't had anything to eat recently, because she felt like throwing up several times. Her fur was damp, she was both hungry and queasy, and her head still hurt. But she was draining money cautiously from various bank accounts. Grit was sharpening his horn, which was illegal, but Karen didn't dare to say anything. It just caused a feeling of intense dread in her stomach.

"Starting to like this number I'm seeing," Grit chuckled. "In fact, why don't I let you go right now? Door's just over there." He nodded to the only door in the room.

Karen cautiously looked at the door, then at him. She felt desperate, but had a feeling she was being toyed with.

"What, you really think I could catch up to you in the time it took you to get to the door, little mouse? Go ahead," Grit smirked darkly at her. Suddenly Karen felt a primal fear, and she scrambled for the door, jumping to get at the handle. The door wouldn't budge. Grit laughed.

"Please tell me you saw that coming, idiot," Grit mocked her. "The door's locked from the outside. I don't even have a key! But that doesn't matter, because all I have to do is shove against it lightly with my shoulder and I'll blow the whole door off its hinges. Whereas you can't do a thing, you tiny little fairy." Karen slumped to her knees, bowing her head, sniffling a bit.

"Oh really, with the crying again?" Grit shouted. "And I was lying earlier about being happy, too. Get me more money."

"I... I can't do this... please..." Karen sniveled.

"Then you want me to kill you right now?" Grit sneered, standing up. Karen felt helpless. Grit stomped over. Karen couldn't bring herself to move. Grit took his fingers of one hand and flicked her in the chest. That small flick sent Karen staggering backwards, coughing from the rough impact. She shuddered, holding her hands over her chest, moaning in pain.

"Look at that," Grit said in disgust. "Weak. Helpless. Sniveling. Mass-breeding drains on society. Why the ZPD hired even one of you is beyond me."

"I... I'll get you more money," Karen choked, trembling. "But please... don't... don't look at me... don't talk to me. I can't concentrate... I'm in so much pain, please..." Grit didn't look impressed at her groveling. "The banks... they've started to notice what's going on. They're setting up more advanced firewalls and other countermeasures. I need to... I need to concentrate. I can get you more money, just please... leave me alone..."

"All right, fine," Grit went back to his corner of the room and turned his chair around. "But I'm going to be watching my account. If it doesn't start jumping up really soon, you know what'll happen."

Karen slogged over to the computer, sitting down. Taking a few deep, painful breaths, she started to be able to concentrate again. Checking to make sure she wasn't being watched, and knowing it might be her only chance, she quickly opened up a website that showed her where the last ping from her cellphone was. She ran through the coordinates many times in her head. Closing the window, she looked up at the ceiling, offering up a silent plea, that, in her mind, only contained the coordinates she was just reading, but in her heart, was a supplication for her only hope at being rescued. She gathered up as clear a head as she could, and went back to hacking into banks. She was getting pretty good at it.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 2:00 PM-

"Rrrrgh!" Nick gave a canine growl of frustration while looking at the traffic cams. Judy headed over.

"What's wrong, Nick?" Judy asked.

"Look at this," Nick said, pointing to two feeds. "Both 8:45 PM. Out of the W3..." Nick pointed.

"Karen!" Judy watched her staggering down the street and off camera. "She looks like she's in bad shape... wait, where's the other feed?"

"That's why I'm angry," Nick said, backing up the feed to 8:00 PM. "It suddenly goes dark. Just like all of our leads."

"Clawhauser hasn't heard anything either," Judy fretted. Her phone started to vibrate. "Huh. ...What? Unusual bank account activity? Nick, pull up my bank account on your computer." Nick did so. "What the... look at this!"

"What's with all these transactions?" Nick asked. "Someone is repeatedly depositing and withdrawing one dollar...?" They both looked at each other in amazement.

"Skippel!" They both said.

"Has to be! Has to be!" Judy said. "This is such a weird form of communication that it couldn't be anything else! But... what is it? Okay okay." Judy's hands trembled, and she shook them to try to concentrate. "Withdrawls are negative, and deposits are positive? Binary, yeah?" She opened a program and tried plugging in ones and zeros that corresponded to the withdrawls and deposits. "This isn't making any sense..."

"It'd take so long to even get a single character out that way- now wait a minute," Nick thought. "Deposits, withdrawls. Deposits, withdrawls." He clapped his paws. "It's Morse code! Deposits has the word DOT in it, and withdrawls contains the letters for DASH!" Judy's jaw dropped and she marveled.

"Have I ever told you how incredibly attractive your intelligence is?"

"Later, Fluff," Nick shook his head, holding out his paw. "Okay, get ready to type." He looked at the screen and started tapping his finger on the desk as he read the sequence of transactions, starting from the earliest.

"S-O-S," Nick started.

"She's definitely kidnapped, then..." Judy's nose twitched.

"R-H-I-N-O," Nick continued.

"By a rhinoceros? ...A rhinoceros could have disabled the traffic camera with their horn from below without being seen!"

Nick finished with some specific numbers and letters. "Uh, did I screw up? It kinda all went to gibberish there."

"It's coordinates!" Judy said, punching them into her computer. "2nd Street and Sunset. An abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Savanna Central."

Nick was already moving, and Judy followed him closely behind.

* * *

-Abandoned Warehouse, Savanna Central Outskirts, 2:30 PM-

Karen was exhausted. She felt emotionally numb, and her body felt like giving out again, though she had only been up for about five and a half hours. Her nose had even stopped twitching finally. She just kept hacking and draining more money. She was starving, thirsty and her chest still hurt from where she was attacked.

"You should have seen how little of that powder it took to knock you out," Grit chuckled. "Just the tiniest pinch. No one at the bar even noticed. That's how weak you bunnies are. You're like insects." Karen just felt the words roll off her.

"You're not going to let me out of here alive, are you?" Karen said flatly. She began to stop hacking. Grit looked displeased as he saw the bank account stop updating.

"No one said anything about that," Grit protested. "Get back to work."

"You just keep calling me worthless, tiny, weak," Karen said soullessly. "Like a bug. You don't care. You'll squash me."

Grit got up, unsure if her sudden fatalism was from growing a spine or true resignation. "Hey, you haven't notified the police, have you?"

"I have not notified the police," Karen said blankly. It was only a lie in the most obscure of ways. "Check my internet history, if you don't believe me."

Grit seemed suspicious. "I think I will." He stomped over to the computer and carefully used the mouse. It took him a long time because of the imprecision of his large fingers. He kept missing the history bar. Everything looked to be in order, a lot of bank sites, some sites that must have been from the dark net for hacking tools, but one site caught his eye. "What's this cell phone site doing here?"

"I have to check the cell phone positions of the people I'm stealing from," Skippel bluffed. "If they're in a no-service zone, its easier to hack them because it takes longer for them to notice they're being hacked and freeze their accounts." Grit nodded. This made sense to him.

"Okay, all right now listen," Grit said, knowing the bunny was starting to wise up and not wanting to lose his ticket to more free money. "Let's not get too crazy now, ok? You just keep doing your thing and I'll let you go at sundown. I have another account ready for me to dump all of this money into, so then we have no connection to each other, all right? I didn't give you my real name or anything. You don't have to die. Just keep going."

Skippel looked blankly up at him, but slowly nodded. She knew it was probably a lie, but had the barest of hopes that perhaps it bought her enough time to be found. She turned to the computer and started to work again. Grit nodded and went back to sit down.

* * *

-2nd and Sunset, Savanna Central Outskirts, 3:00 PM-

"We're getting close, Nick, turn off the siren," Judy said, turning a corner hard.

Nick complied. "Okay, done. We do need the element of surprise." They parked a block away from the warehouse. "Okay, that's it. Why do you think her kidnapper hasn't asked for ransom yet?"

"There's been some reports of bank account hacking going on today," Judy said. "With how Karen got in touch with us, it's undoubtedly related."

Nick nodded seriously, starting to gather a few items.

Judy didn't want to take any chances. She picked up the radio. "Officer Hopps to dispatch."

"Dispatch, go ahead," Clawhauser said.

"Let me have a backup unit, a TUSK unit, and the largest bus we have at 2nd and Sunset," Hopps said. "Have them park a block down on all sides and wait for our signal."

"Units will be at your 20 in 10," Clawhauser replied. Judy grumbled.

"That could be nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds too late," Judy said. "Nick, grab your gear, let's see if we can do anything." Nick nodded, both of them equipping themselves with various weapons and detterents. Judy sheathed her trusty customized stun gun. They both got out of the car and made their way to the warehouse. It had a huge door with a lock on it. "I think my stun gun's sonic function can break some kinds of locks..."

"Are you insane?" Nick asked. "Maybe it would, but there would go our element of surprise, and everyone in a mile radius would know something was happening.

Judy shook her head. "You're right, what am I thinking? My head isn't on straight. Okay, let's look around." Quickly, she spotted a weak looking window with four panes of glass on it that wasn't too far from the ground, only about four feet. She pointed to it and Nick nodded. Nick pulled out a glass-cutter and handed it to Judy, then offered his hands to lift her up. Judy carefully cut the bottom right pane of glass out and gently handed it down to Nick, who set it down meticulously. Judy than cleanly sprang from Nick's hands into the window gap. Turning around carefully, she locked her ankles on the inside of the building and hung down to help Nick up.

There was barely any room for both of them on the hole in the window. Nick struggled a bit.

"Always amazes me that a little bunny can pull me up like that," Nick smirked.

"You can be amazed later. It's not going to be easy to get out of this warehouse if we go in; we need a plan-" Judy started, but at that moment Nick fumbled and fell through the window. He tucked and rolled onto the warehouse floor, making even his graceless fall turn into a silent entry.

"Crud," Nick said simply. Judy silently dropped next to him.

"Okay, we need a plan more quickly." She looked around. "There's only one room over there. Looks like a light is on inside."

"Karen must be in there, with the rhino," Nick nodded. "Hey, you took down a rhino at the academy, right?"

"Yeah, but I had tons of time to figure out how to use the environment to my advantage," Judy said. "There's barely anything in this warehouse. Can we perhaps draw the rhino out of the room? Then, I could slip in and grab Karen."

"Ah, so I'm bait, then. Very well," Nick took in the layout of the warehouse. "Door's at the northwest. You hide behind those boxes near the door, and I'll make some noise at the south to draw him out."

"Okay," Judy nodded. "Set your stun gun to max. Rhinos are one of the hardest animals to take down with them. If he charges, shoot without hesitation." Nick and Judy both adjusted their dials on their stun guns.

"Or, we could just grab his credit cards," Nick shrugged. Judy had a look of bewilderment, then dismay. She and Nick took their positions.

Nick kicked over an empty barrel, and cringed as it made a much louder sound than he was anticipating.

 _BONNGGGG..._

Grit heard it from within the office, as did Karen, who flinched.

"What was that?" Grit asked suspiciously. He had a moment of pause, genuinely not knowing what to do next, and knowing that Karen wasn't going to help him. But the money was just about his. "Rabbit, if you leave this room, I will kill you." Grit got up and bashed through the door to the room, it barely even slowing him down. The door came off its hinges and the room was exposed. Judy took in a breath, holding her stun gun and waiting for him. Nick was hiding further down the room, watching the rhino.

Grit didn't move from the doorway. Nick grit his teeth, knowing he had to get his attention quickly, lest he lose his opportunity. Nick dashed, low to the ground, just along his line of sight and behind more boxes.

"Uh!? Who's there!?" Grit moved away from the door and towards the flash of orange-red fur. Judy saw her chance and vaulted silently over the boxes and into the room.

Karen nearly shrieked when she saw her, putting her hands over her mouth. Judy nodded, putting a finger on her own lips, and gently helped Karen to her feet, seeing she was in rough shape. The two started to escape the room.

"ZPD! Freeze!" Nick shouted before Grit got too close. Grit barely twitched before Nick fired his stun gun.

 _CLACK!_

The charge did not fully penetrate into the rhinos thick skin. Grit gave an amused smile.

"They used to call me leather-hide," Grit grinned. "If it isn't that little fox cop... now I'll turn YOU into leather!" Grit yanked Nick's stun gun from his hands by its cords and crushed it in his hand with a menacing smile. Then, he charged at Nick. Nick smoothly dodged him but was quickly running out of room to maneuver. He began to panic.

"Judy, help!" Nick called out. Judy looked in horror as the rhino turned and saw her helping Karen towards the window. Grit roared.

"Well, looks like I'm gonna have to kill twice as many bunnies as I thought!" Grit started to charge toward Judy and Karen, but the instant his attention split from Nick, Nick grabbed a large set of bolas from his pouch and growled, spinning them as hard and fast as he could.

"Ruh!" Nick grunted, throwing the bolas. Nick grimaced as he knew the rhino's legs were short and far apart, but his aim was true, and the bolas entangled around Grits legs.

"Wuaaah?" Grit spat in surprise, tripping and hitting the ground extremely hard. It seemed like he caused a miniature earthquake. His eyes rolled. Judy took out her radio.

"TUSK unit, are you in position?" Judy shouted.

"Affirmative."

"Break down the door, suspect is down!" The TUSK team worked on breaking the lock and getting the warehouse's door open. Nick rushed over to Grit and put his hand on his neck. He had to press really hard, but he felt a pulse.

"Looks like he's alive, but unconcious," Nick said. "I guess the bigger they are, the harder- you know what, I'll just stop right there."

Karen gave a sigh of intense relief. The TUSK team broke the door open and the EMTs groaned as they saw whose body they had to wheel away. Nick and Judy helped Karen get out into the sunlight, and the arctic hare started to shiver, despite it being pleasant outside.

"Acute stress reaction," Judy guessed. Nick waved over to one of the EMTs.

"Can we get a blanket over here for Officer Skippel? And some water?" A white wolf male nodded, heading over and offering them a blanket and a glass of water. They carefully wrapped the blanket around Karen and offered her the water. She drank it all immediately.

"Are you okay, Karen?" Judy asked gently.

"No," Skippel shook her head vehemently, starting to cry along her recently dried tear streaks. "H-h-how do you do it, Judy? How do you go out and look death in the f-face and just l-l-l... laugh...?"

"I don't know," Judy said. "To be honest, I really don't. Probably a lot of it has to do with trusting in my partner. But this should have never happened to you... you're not supposed to be out in the field." Nick and Judy slowly led Karen to a smaller ambulance that she knew was for her, and the dread of the day crashed over her again as she realized how it could have ended, causing her to shudder. All three sat on the outside edge of the ambulance.

"Karen, I know it's not okay," Nick said. "I know you're terrified. But you did great. You trusted in your fellow officers, and we came to get you. You practically saved yourself."

"You figured out my m-message..." Skippel nodded. Then, she looked like she wanted to get up. "I g-gotta go back to that computer. I stole a lot of money from a lot of people... gotta..."

"Don't move, Karen!" Judy said worriedly. "Let the rest of the technical team worry about that. You've been through so much..."

"Just relax, Karen," Nick nodded. "You've done enough for today." Karen nodded, rocking back and forth a little bit, trying to calm herself.

The white wolf EMT came back around. "Officer Skippel, are you injured?"

Karen nodded. "H-he attacked me once, on my ch-chest. Feels like it could have br-bruised."

The wolf nodded. "Let's get you to the hospital, Skippel. Hopps? Wilde?"

"We're okay," Judy nodded. "Do you want us to come with you, Karen?"

Karen sniveled, but then sighed. "Y-yeah."

* * *

-Zootopia Mercy General Hospital, Floor 2 Hallway, 6:00 PM-

Nick and Judy stood in the hallway of the hospital. By now Karen was calmed, talking to her doctors. She had lost a lot of fluids they were having to replenish. A male armadillo doctor headed out of her room.

"Officer Hopps," Judy introduced. "Will Officer Skippel be all right?"

The armadillo nodded, sighing. "Physically, anyway, she'll make a full recovery." Nick and Judy frowned a bit at this.

"How about the perp? How's he doing?" Nick asked, folding his arms.

"Inconclusive. He has suffered a large concussion," said the doctor. Nick nodded and the doctor headed off. Judy looked up at Nick.

"Did what I had to, Carrots," Nick shrugged, his arms still folded.

Judy nodded. "You saved both me and Karen."

"Well, you, anyway," Nick said, "not so sure Karen is saved, yet. She might have suffered some sort of lasting trauma from all this."

Judy sighed, but nodded again. "What do we do?"

"All we can do is be there for her," Nick said. "She may not want us, and if she doesn't, she doesn't have to have us. But we'll be available for her."

"Yeah," Judy agreed. "She put her trust in us intellectually and physically, but now we have to work on the emotional aspect."

Nick nodded, uncrossing his arms and giving a soft pet over Judy's drooped ears.

"It finally happened, Nick," Judy said distantly, "a case we closed that I don't feel like we 'won'."

"Don't despair, Judy," Nick said, "we may not have won today, but this isn't over just yet."

Judy smiled faintly at Nick's determination, and they both turned to see that Karen was resting.

"C'mon, Carrots," Nick beckoned. "Let's get some food from the cafeteria then come back here. We'll want to be here when she wakes up."

Judy nodded, heading down the hall with her hand in Nick's.


	11. Purring Partners

"My name is Karen Skippel. I'm from the ZPD, a technical officer. Some people occasionally mistake me for Judy Hopps, even though I'm an arctic hare. In truth, I'm nothing like her. She's one of the bravest members of the ZPD and I'm... well. I got into some trouble recently. It's... hard for me to talk about. My sleep has been so troubled, lately. When I do sleep, there's a good chance it will be a nightmare, about being crushed, impaled, or just... this intense feeling of dread will plague me until I wake up, gasping for air. Please. ...Please... I need help..."

"We can help you, Karen. Please, come closer..." a soft, feminine voice beckoned to the small white rabbit, and she complied.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 9:00 AM-

"Hopps," Bogo grunted from behind his glasses as he lowered them, regarding the gray bunny peeking into his office.

"Hello, sir," Judy gave an unsure grin. "Terribly sorry to bother you, but I notice Officer Skippel _still_ isn't at work, and I-"

Bogo shot her a displeased look. "Hopps, you are TRYING my patience!"

Judy winced. "I'm sorry Chief, it's just... you know, the last time she didn't show up..."

"Not that it is ANY of your business," Chief Bogo said slowly, "but Officer Skippel is on paid leave."

"Oh, okay," Judy nodded, glad to hear she was okay. "That's all I-"

"Now, if you are done being the ZPD's personal cheerleader, get out of my office," Bogo grumbled, but his voice wasn't as angry as his words seemed to imply.

"Of course," Judy nodded, and turned to leave.

"Hopps," Bogo stopped her with his voice. He stepped up and handed her a box that was rather familiar to her. "Give this to Wilde."

"A customized stun gun?" Judy asked, smiling a little.

"And tell him not to break this one," Bogo grumbled.

"Well, sir, it wasn't actually _him_ that broke it, it was an enormous-" Judy's words were halted by an irritated glare. "Riiight, I'll be leaving now." She flashed a sheepish smile and left his office.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 8:30 AM-

Two weeks later, Officer Karen Skippel returned to work. After making it through the morning briefing, during which she was thankful she was not called out specifically, she headed over to her desk, which had a large, three-monitor set up. She gave the faintest of smiles as everything on the computer was right as she left it. She took the small amount of peace she could find from her life slowly falling back into order.

Her ears twitched and turned towards the sound of a female exclamation.

"Guh!" The terse sound rang out. Sounded like Judy, Karen thought.

"Just where do you think _you're_ going?" Nick Wilde's accusing tone asked. Definitely Judy, she decided.

"I _just_ wanna go say hi to Karen, okay, Nick?" Judy explained. Skippel gave a tiny smile, peeking her eyes over to see if she could see them. Nick was holding Judy with one hand by the back of her uniform, leaving her dangling in midair, his other hand on his hip. Judy didn't look quite defeated; Karen guessed that they'd been in this situation many times by now.

"Give her some space, for crying out loud," Nick sighed, "it's her first day back. You know what she's been through. When she's ready, she'll-" Karen decided to get up and greet the bickering couple.

"Hi, you two," Karen gave a tiny wave.

"Hey, Skip," Nick greeted, dropping Judy without warning. Despite this, Judy landed gracefully next to him. It was like they had practiced this, Karen thought.

"Hi Karen," Judy said, slightly apologetically. "I think Nick is right, though. I have a huge problem with impulse control, especially when it comes to knowing how my friends are doing." Karen gave the faintest of smiles at hearing Judy was still insistent on calling her a friend.

"It's okay," Karen shook her head gently. "You both saved my life, the absolute least I can do is say hi."

Nick held up a paw, speaking cautiously. "You don't owe us anything, Skip. Go at your own pace and do what's right for you."

"You two are very nice," Karen said. "Oh, Judy, maybe you'd like to join me after work? I can show you where I've been getting some help." Judy's expression was one of disbelief.

"Uh?" Judy babbled. "Well, uh, sure! Of course, if you'd like."

"I think you'll be... amused," Karen gave a small smirk.

* * *

-The Mystic Springs Oasis, Sahara Square, 5:30 PM-

"Uh oh," Judy said in a tiny voice, looking up at the door to the establishment. The Mystic Springs, where Judy had gotten some vital clues on her very first case, was a naturalist club where animals of all kinds hung out, indulging in various benign vices without the inconvenience of clothing.

"I read your report on the Night Howler case file," Karen couldn't hold back a bit of amusement. "This part was a real page turner, especially because your handwriting got a bit wobbly over certain details. I asked Nick about it once and he confirmed my suspicions."

Judy just took a deep breath.

"What a strange weakness for you to have, Judy," Karen smiled. "Well, shall we?" Judy and Skippel entered the lobby of the club, where Judy saw a familiar face. It was Yax, a yak that was the receptionist there. He was surrounded by his usual halo of flies. Judy had no idea how, but he immediately noticed the two bunnies coming in from behind his long, blinding brown dreadlocks.

"Oh, it's Karen, 'ey Karen!" Yax said, his relaxed voice easy on the ears. "Oh and wow, if it isn't that bunny officer Judy Hopps! Wow, what's it been, five years, three months and... ten days since you showed up here?"

Judy shook her head in amazement at Yax's impeccable memory. "Something like that. Thank you for your help back then, by the way. Does Emmitt Otterton still come here?"

"Oh yeah, ol' Emmitt, huh-huh," Yax chuckled in a carefree fashion. "Such a nice lil' otter. Glad you guys found 'im. And what'd you need my help for? It was Nangi I had led you to, remember?"

"Riiight," Judy rolled her eyes, "Nangi, the elephant you said could remember everything..."

"Yeah, elephants are kinda like that, am I right?" Yax said smoothly. "I've been working on my ol' noggin too, I think I'm gettin' slightly better at remembering things."

"If your memory got any better I think you'd be some kind of savant," Judy said, barely audibly, then she piped up. "Anyhow, Karen, what-" Her train of thought crashed and burned as she turned and saw Karen nude, folding up and setting her clothes away into a locker. Judy's ears felt as though they might burst into flames. Judy slapped her hands over her eyes, but not before noticing that, without clothes, Karen seemed a bit fluffier than her.

Karen laughed lightly at Judy's discomfort. "Well, Judy, I guess this is where you and I part ways, hm? I'm headed off to my session. See you at work tomorrow." Karen headed off through the door into the clothes-free part of the club. Judy shook her head. Her insatiable curiosity however, caused her feet to move toward the door without her brain telling her.

"Whoa there, Judy," Yax protested, heading out from behind the counter. Judy jumped a bit in discomfort. He was just as naked as she had remembered. "Let's hit the rewind here a second. If you're not here on police business, I can't have you goin' into the club without followin' the dress code. It's not fair to the other mammals, you know?" Judy held up a finger to protest, but then dropped it.

"Okay, Judy," she said to herself. "Just how badly do you want to know what Karen is doing in there? Not too badly, right? Let's just go home, and-"

Judy, no longer wearing clothes, headed across the sun-kissed main area of Mystic Springs, the late-day's warmth enveloping fur it rarely ever touched on her body. Judy's hands were wrapped across her chest and tummy, and her legs took tiny, guarded steps.

"I really, really never know when to quit, do I?" Judy chastised herself in despair. She looked left and right, trying to find somewhere safe for her eyes to land on. Her eyes seemed to bounce everywhere, trying not to look at the nude, relaxing animals. Her small steps and inability to focus meant she'd probably never find Karen without her knowing. So, she decided to call out. "Karen?"

"Is that _you_ , Judy?" Karen's voice called back. "Over here!" Judy's flat ears perked up in the direction of Karen's voice, and she walked this way, her eyes squinted. She almost ran into a tree.

Judy blinked rapidly, trying to let her eyes soak in as little information as possible. Karen was by a small oasis with various female feline mammals of many different types. Judy thought she recognized a caracal, cougar, and several others, including a sand cat that was only about as tall as her. As she got closer, she realized that they were all purring. The rhythmic vibrations filled the air around the oasis, and even from afar, Judy started to get more relaxed, and her tensions faded. Her eyes slowly opened and her hands became less guarded around her.

"Wow, Judy," Karen smirked a bit, laying on her back and relaxing against a female cheetah, "I honestly didn't think you'd follow me in here. I dunno if I'm impressed, or worried at your dedication to knowing things about me."

"Curiosity getting one into trouble is often a feline endeavor," the sand cat teased gently in a soothing voice, continuing to purr.

"Sorry, Karen," Judy said, "I just... you know. I wanted to know how you were being taken care of. And, um, I'm not sure I understand?"

"This is purr therapy," Karen explained, trying to relax. "It's both physically and emotionally relaxing. One of my main problems is my mind is so busy, racing around everywhere. The purring can dislodge disquieting thoughts from my mind and rub out the rest of them, letting me focus only on my own comfort. Also, the girls are here to talk about any troubles I have. Studies have shown that more mammals, even prey, respond well to female feline voices."

"All except that one-" Judy started, but then stopped herself, knowing it wouldn't be best to say anything that might cause alarm. "Anyway, I have to admit that this is kind of amazing. I'm so happy that you're getting some help, Karen."

"Thanks, Judy," Karen smiled, "but I only have till the stars come out, so-"

"Oh of course, I'll leave," Judy nodded, glad for an excuse to go.

"Are you sure you don't want a free sample of our little therapy?" A cougar purred at Judy. Judy flinched.

"No no, that's quite alright! I'm good, more than good!" Judy scrambled, suddenly self-conscious again.

"Really?" The cougar smirked. "Looks like it'd do you some good."

"Honestly, Judy," Karen shook her head, "can you even stand to see your fox naked?"

"That is an excellent question!" Judy poked her fingers together. "I would be happy to answer it some other time, for now I will let you go!" Judy marched off in a hurry.

"Heh, yeah right, when?" Karen asked herself, snuggling back into the cheetah. "The heat death of the universe?"

* * *

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment, 12:00 PM-

Nick and Judy got off the Savanna Central subway train closest to their apartment building, each carrying a few bags of groceries.

"So, Carrots," Nick began, "how'd that little thing with Skip go?" Judy thought about it, her ears warming up a bit.

"You know?" Judy wondered. "I don't know if I'm at liberty to say or not."

"Oh, really?" Nick nodded as they approached their apartment. "That's fine. It won't sear a hole through me as I know it would you." He shut the door on Judy without letting her in.

"Nick!" Judy laughed. Nick opened the door with a cheesy grin after several moments and let her in, his groceries already set down. Judy felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. "Oops, my pants are buzzing."

"Might be bees inside," Nick smirked mischievously. "Maybe I should take 'em off." Nick wiggled his fingers.

"Nick...!" Judy giggled. "Just get my phone out. My hands are full." Nick obeyed her and took out her phone.

"Huh, it's a text from Skip," Nick said, looking at Judy's phone.

"No kidding?" Judy asked, putting the groceries away. "What's it say?"

"'Do you want to hang out today?'" Nick read, sounding slightly impressed.

"Oh, no way," Judy said, "you're just teasing me."

"No, cross my foxy heart," Nick said, drawing an x over his chest with his free hand.

"Okay, then tell her yes," Judy said, putting some blueberries and milk into the fridge. Nick snuck a peek at Judy's tufty tail as it poked up while she bent over. He loved that little tail. "Ask her if she'd like to go to Mezzo park for a walk, maybe." Nick texted Karen as he was asked.

"Place and time?" Nick continued.

"Uh, let's say 1:00 PM, near Vivian's stand. That's north-west of the very center of the park."

"Looks like it's a date," Nick nodded, setting Judy's phone down. "Better not be late, Carrots. You know how picky she is about being punctual."

"You don't want to come?" Judy asked curiously.

"It's not that I don't want to," Nick shrugged. "But Skip has to do these social things on exactly her terms. If I go too, I'd risk overwhelming her. Or, she might want to talk about whatever happened after work not too long ago."

"Okay then Nick," Judy smirked. "I don't know whether you're really smart or really lazy."

Nick shrugged. "Bit of both?" Judy headed over to him, standing on her tip toes.

"Now, you be a good boy while I'm gone," Judy said in a condescending voice, scratching his cheeks and neck affectionately.

"Hmhm, never," Nick smirked playfully.

* * *

-Mezzo Park, 12:59 PM-

Judy hung out near her vixen friend's fruit cart. Her name was Vivian Reddish, and Judy thought she made some of the tastiest fruit drinks around. She considered her a good friend. Judy had her phone out, and when the clock struck 1:00 PM, Judy noticed Karen's slightly black-tipped ears as she walked along a path and into view.

"I dunno if that's awesome, or scary," Judy chuckled, heading over to her. "Karen!" Karen flinched a bit at the yelling. Judy had her arms out, but quickly remembered Karen wasn't a very physical person, so she shoved her hands back into her pockets.

"Hi, Judy," Karen said, cocking her head at the strange gesture Judy looked like she was making.

"So uh, what kind of fruit do you like?" Judy grinned.

"Hm, anything citrus, really," Karen shrugged. Judy beckoned her and they walked towards Vivian's stand.

"Hello, Judy, oh, and another rabbit?" Vivian smiled. "Who's your friend?"

"My _friend_ ," Judy smiled, being sure to verbally underscore that word, "is Karen Skippel, the best techno-whiz at the ZPD!"

"There's, ah, no real standard of measure for that sort of thing," Karen smirked with her eyes half-lid.

"Well, if Judy says you're the best, I'm inclined to believe her," Vivian laughed. "Would you like your usual, Judy?"

"Sure, and a citrus swirl for Karen," Judy said. Vivian poured an orange smoothie and a frozen, yummy-looking orange and lemon drink. Karen reached into her pocket for her wallet.

"Oh no no, my treat," Judy said kindly.

"No, _my_ treat," Vivian smirked. "Lest you forget who has the final say on these matters!"

"Vivian...!" Judy protested. "I'm gonna run you out of business!"

"Hardly," Vivian laughed, handing over their drinks. "In fact, that I serve star cops on the ZPD is making me even more popular among park-goers." She winked. Karen looked like she might protest about her being a star officer, but decided to let it go. She sipped her drink, and found it very tasty.

"Thanks for the drinks, Vivian," Judy said, brightly taking hers.

"Of course!" Vivian said. She caught the glint of Judy's engagement ring as she was reaching out her paws. "Wow, Judy, the citrine and emerald on that ring are really eye-catching in the sun."

"Right?" Judy smiled. "I got a similar ring for Nick, too. Silver with amethyst. He wears it everywhere. I don't even think we'll get different rings for our wedding, these are just too perfect for us."

"What a lucky fox," Vivian grinned.

"This is really good, by the way," Karen quietly piped up.

"I'm glad you like it, Karen," Vivian nodded. "If you come back, I'll think about taking your money for your next refreshment. If you're lucky."

Judy laughed at this and Karen gave a faint smile. The two waved and headed out, walking together in the park.

"So, your thing for foxes extends beyond your taste in males," Karen teased calmly.

"Karen, I can be friends with anyone, as long as they can put up with me," Judy said self-deprecatingly. "I know I'm a handful."

"I'm getting there," Karen said with a slight smile. Judy was visibly pleased at this. "But I was actually curious about that, earlier. Do you get skittish when you and Nick are... you know, au naturale?"

"Oh, no," Judy shook her head forcefully. "It's different with Nick. There's no time I feel closer to him then when nothing is in the way of me feeling all of his fur."

"Then why are you so weird about nudity?" Karen wondered.

"I think it might be a sort of uh," Judy thought, "a social defense mechanism? I know several bunnies who are also weird about it. Imagine if we were a bit more promiscuous or unguarded, with how many kids a bunny can usually have." Judy and Karen both laughed nervously at this.

"The bunny population apocalypse would be upon us," Karen agreed. "I... don't have that hangup, though. Maybe it's cause I never experienced bunny culture properly, being an only-bunny."

"Uh, let's not dwell on that," Judy said hesitantly, "how's your therapy going?"

Karen did not respond. She looked away a bit, sipping her tasty drink.

"Is it..." Judy looked concerned, "is it not going well?"

"I mean, I'm doing a little better overall," Karen said, "but I told you my main problem. I _think_ too much."

"So it's becoming less effective?" Judy considered. "You're building up a purr tolerance?"

"No no, the purring is great, I love that," Karen explained. "But... it's just..."

"Go on..." Judy led.

"They get... paid for it," Karen said, her shoulders dropping. "They get paid to purr for me... care about me... that thought keeps creeping into my head..."

Judy's jaw dropped. "That... that doesn't mean they don't care, though...!"

"I know it's just," Karen ran her teeth along her lower lip, "it feels like I'm with escorts, or something. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep feeling soothed from this therapy. I feel like it's fake... maybe even a little cheap."

"Oh, Karen..." Judy very hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder, and Karen did not object. "Maybe you can find something else that works. More traditional therapy, if you need it. And you know Nick and I are around to help you however you need it. Talking, doing things. Whatever."

"I appreciate that, Judy," Karen nodded. "I'm sure I'll be okay. It is... it's pretty nice knowing I can rely on someone. Thanks for coming out to see me today."

" _Any_ time," Judy insisted.

* * *

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment, 9:00 AM-

Nick yawned as he woke up the next day. It was the second day of their weekend. He pet the figure in his arms but opened his eyes as it felt too smooth. He looked into his arms to see, not Judy, but a pillow.

"A decoy!" Nick smirked to himself. He got up and looked around for Judy. She wasn't in their bedroom, bathroom, or main living/dining area, so that meant only one more area.

Nick opened the door to Judy's old bedroom and sang out questioningly: "Where's my bunny...?" Judy was there in her old bedroom, which she had converted into a sort of office with a computer and a desk. It had quickly gotten away from her, with files and papers stacked all over her bed. Judy was seated at the desk, with papers and computer documents open.

"Here she is!" Judy responded in a flirty tone, her ears perking at hearing Nick. Nick headed over and put his hands on her chair, kissing both of her ears. Judy hummed happily at this.

"Whatcha working on?" Nick asked. "You're not doing case file work on our day off, are you?"

"No, I'm doing our taxes," Judy smirked, "not that you'd know anything about that."

"Oof!" Nick dramatically staggered backwards, steadying himself on the door frame. "Ouch, I felt that one." Judy laughed pleasantly. "Hmhm, anyway, how did your date with Skip go?"

"Well..." Judy opened her mouth to speak, but half words and indistinct sounds came from her mouth. She searched the ceiling with her eyes. Her ears dropped back down.

"Okay, there went the ears," Nick said, clearing a place for him to sit on the bed. "Give me the scoop, Fluff."

"If I tell you, will you promise not to tell her I did?" Judy asked. "I dunno how much of this she wants others to know."

"Just tell me whatever you'd like."

"She's doing a kind of, uh, purr therapy," Judy said hesitantly. "I thought it sounded kinda sweet, really, but she's having reservations all of a sudden. I think she thinks it might be too... impersonal? To have female, paid professionals do it, I mean."

"I see," Nick nodded. "Is that it?"

"Yeah, I think so," Judy said. "I think she's finally warming up to me though." Nick and Judy were quiet for several minutes. Then, Nick silently got up and headed off to the closet, tying on a tie, and getting on a warm, handsome-looking coat. Judy was curious at his sudden vacating her office, and she appeared at the doorway. "Where are you going?"

"I got a few errands I need to do," Nick said. "Might as well do something productive while you are."

"Okay, but at Tundratown?" Judy looked curious, an eyebrow raised.

"Yup, catch ya later, Carrots."

* * *

-1283 Snow Poff Lane, Tundratown, 12:30 PM-

"Nickadee!" A hazel-eyed snow leopard said brightly, opening the door to her home, smiling at the fox that was at her doorstep. "What the heck are you doing at my house!?"

"Heya, Crystal," Nick grinned. "Do you have a little bit?"

"Sure, get on in here," Crystal beckoned. Nick entered the house, and moved to take off his coat, but then he realized how cold Tundratown residents usually kept their houses, so he left it on. "I haven't seen you since the high school reunion! To what do I owe the misfortune of this fox showing up on my doorstep?"

"Nice to see you too, Crystal," Nick chuckled. He looked at some pictures on her wall, walking around with his hands in his pockets. "Crystal. Crystal Lumi. Are you still in theater?"

"Yup," Crystal nodded. "Just wrapped up a tour of-"

" _Cats_?" Nick interrupted with a smirk.

Crystal grinned with her eyes squinted and held up a paw close to her face, barely unsheathing her claws. She sang: "Nickadee, don't make me hurt you!"

"Now now, ma'am," Nick held up his arms defensively, "you know I'm a cop now, right? I could arrest you if you threatened me."

"Well, officer," Crystal folded her arms. "I'm not doing anything illegal, so how about you take your fluffy tail and-" She was interrupted by getting a good look at Nicks hands. "Nick, are you _married_?"

"Just about," Nick grinned, "this is an engagement ring."

"Who's the unlucky vixen?" Crystal smirked.

"Not a vixen, actually," Nick took out his phone and scrolled to his current favorite picture of Judy, a picture of her he took just after his proposal. Judy was smiling very brightly, showing most of her teeth, and showing off her engagement ring for the camera.

"A bunny? A BUNNY?" Crystal's jaw dropped in disbelief. "No way."

"Yup," Nick nodded. "That's my girl."

"Okay, okay," Crystal said, giving Nick a noogie. " _Now_ I see why you stopped by. Here to rub it in my face, aren't you? You know that small, cute prey girls check all of my extremely specific boxes. Especially ones with big ears."

"That does bring me to why I'm over here," Nick said. "I have a proposition for you." Crystal looked confused.

"Er, okay?" Crystal cocked an eyebrow. "Hey wait a second, I'm not out to cause any trouble in any relationships."

"Oh no," Nick shook his head. "It's not about my betrothed. It's about..." Nick scrolled to another picture on his phone, "her."

Crystal looked at the picture. It was Karen Skippel, mostly. A picture Nick had gotten early on in Karen's employment with her and Judy in it. Karen didn't appear to be smiling all that much. Crystal gasped. "The arctic hare? She kind of looks a bit sad here."

"Mmhm, that's the point," Nick nodded. "She's been through a lot of stuff lately."

"Like what?" Crystal looked a bit worried.

"Well, if you're interested," Nick went on, "I won't rob you of the experience of asking her yourself."

"Oh come on, Nickadee, don't tease me," Crystal frowned. "What are the chances that this little bunny would be into some pred cat? And a girl, at that?"

"Based on what I've heard? Pretty decent," Nick said. "She needs a friend, Crystal. You might be able to give her something that neither I nor my partner can."

"Wow," Crystal said. "Seems like the force has done amazing things to your personality, Nick." She smiled.

"If you text her," Nick said, giving her Karen's number, "tell her you're a friend of Nick Wilde. _Not_ 'Nickadee'. And remember to spell my last name with an 'e', too. She's a bit paranoid, so if you screw up, don't come crawling back to me."

"Nick," Crystal smirked. "I always guessed you were a romantic idiot at heart. Looks like I didn't know quite how much. Marrying a bunny, playing matchmaker. A shame you aren't my type." She pinched his cheek.

"Okay, lay off," Nick chuckled. "I think I've done enough damage today." He gave a casual salute. "Good day, madam."

* * *

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment, 8:30 PM-

Two weeks later, Nick and Judy were cuddling on their couch, watching some TV. They had grown to like watching very old, kitschy sci-fi movies and snark at them continually. As they were laughing at a particularly poor costume on the monster of the movie, Judy's ear twitched at hearing Nick's phone buzz. Before Nick could blink, Judy grabbed it.

Skip, said the header of the text message, and it contained only: [Thanks.]

"What's this?" Judy asked. "Karen texted _you_? What about?"

Nick grinned, sitting up. "Let's find out, shall we?" Judy looked over his arm as he texted back. [Having fun?]

[Yes.] Karen texted back after several minutes. Nick tried to keep his grin from getting too wide.

[Prove it.]

There was a long pause. Then, a picture showed up onscreen. It was a selfie taken with Crystal and Karen. Karen didn't actually appear to be looking at the camera, but had a shy, very faint smile on. Crystal, on the other hand, was the one taking the selfie, with a flirty wink and big grin. They appeared to be at a restaurant.

[Have fun then, Skip.] Nick typed, closing out the conversation. Judy's mouth was agape.

"No, wait, let me see that!" Judy flailed for the phone, which Nick kept just out of reach. Not for long though, because Judy suddenly bounded off the back of the couch and into Nick's hand, appropriating the phone. "What... who is this?"

"Girl I know," Nick said smugly, shrugging.

"A big fluffy snow leopard," Judy looked on in awe, "Nick, seriously. WHAT. This might be like exactly who Karen could..."

"I know everyone," Nick sang teasingly.

"I'm beginning to think you do!" Judy said, quite impressed. "I never knew you cared about Karen enough to try to find her such a ...a custom-fit date?"

"Really, Judy?" Nick mocked. "You fell for this again? You know this is my modus operandi when it comes to bunnies. Make them think I don't care, then BOOM! All aboard the love train, with your conductor, Nick Wilde. Toot-toot!" He pumped his arm twice.

Judy suddenly grasped onto Nick's tie with both hands, yanking Nick closer, getting quite a devilish look on her face. Her eyes were quite narrow.

Nick hazarded a couple of sniffs, which told him almost as much as her extremely amorous look did. "It... appears this train might be derailing!"

"Fox, by the end of the night you will be begging for my mercy."


	12. Partners Together

-Zootopia City Hall-

Leodore Lionheart's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde enter his office.

"Well now, here's a surprise!" Leodore exclaimed in his bold, rich voice. His lion tail whipped in amusement.

"Hello, um, what do we call you now, Mr. Lionheart?" Judy asked meekly.

"Yeah, that'll do!" Leodore chuckled. "Wow, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. It's been quite awhile."

"Hopefully not Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde for much longer," Nick said, Leodore's eyes raising in confusion. "We're looking to get married."

"Oh REALLY now?" Leodore put one of his large paws on his desk. "Now, this _is_ a surprise."

"We were hoping, you know, if you could tell us if such a marriage would be, ah..." Nick started hesitantly.

"Legal," both he and Judy said.

"I mean, I don't see why not," Leodore said, starting to look through some things on his computer. "As you might know, I've been kicked down a few rungs on the Zootopia political system, after I got out of jail." He chuckled a bit. "Not that I mind. Actually, when I said earlier that the Mammal Inclusion Initiative was mine, well, I had some help writing it, of course. Now _I'm_ the one writing the initiatives and helping things getting passed to try to make life a little easier for all of us. Especially when it comes to predator/prey relations. So I guess you've come to the right place." He chuckled.

"So you haven't made it back to Assistant Mayor, yet?" Judy wondered.

"No, nor do I have any aspirations to," Leodore said. "I think my face being in the public eye would do more harm than good at this point, despite my trying to save it. Anyway, Vince Mousawitz is the mayor now, and he's doing a great job at that. Very inspiring for one so small. It's perhaps poetic justice that a huge lion such as myself is so subordinate to a tiny mouse, hm?"

Nick and Judy shared a nervous chuckle.

"Anyway," Leodore went on, "I don't see anything that says a predator and prey cant get married." He shrugged. "You should be good! Better get on that before any conservative mammals start putting on airs."

Nick looked rather relieved. Judy stepped forward.

"There's one more thing, sir," she said. "I was wondering if you'd like to be our officiant."

Leodore gave a loud, cheerful laugh. "Whoa now, Judy, really? Last time we interacted you were reading me my rights!"

"Well, I can see you're quite repentant," Judy grinned humbly, "I haven't seen anything bad come out of the news about you in these past five years. You spoke at the _other_ most important ceremony in my life, my police academy graduation. That and, I have to say, I do really like your voice. Will you at least consider it...?"

"Trying to pet the lion's ego, eh?" Leodore chuckled again. "Ah, how can I say no to that? I do love giving speeches. Count me in!"

"Yes!" Judy leaped up and pumped her arm. Leodore offered Nick his card.

"Keep me informed," Leodore nodded. Nick nodded in return.

"Well, that's one thing down," Nick said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Several to go..."

* * *

-Susie Bunkins Wedding Plannings, etc-

Judy and Nick sat down in the office of the wedding planner Judy had scouted out. Susie Bunkins, a slightly widely arranged tri-color bunny, headed out to look at both of them and looked instantly surprised.

"Well, hello there," she said, adjusting her glasses with an impressed look. "A bunny and a fox?"

One side of Nick's muzzle started to curl into a frown. He pushed his chair back. "You know what, Judy? Let's go. Maybe we can find another wedding planner that isn't as judgemental."

"Nick, chill out!" Judy glared at him. "I scouted her specifically because-" Susie had her hands over her mouth.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry to give you that impression, Mr. Wilde," Susie said. "I'm thrilled, in fact! I've always wanted to do an inter-species wedding, but never had the opportunity."

"Oh uh, sorry," Nick said quietly and sheepishly, getting back into his seat, his ears flat in embarrassment.

"This will be exciting!" Susie said happily, getting some papers out. "I can't wait to help you out."

"Not to sound speciesist, Judy," Nick asked, smirking, "but isn't this wedding going to have _enough_ bunnies?"

"That's part of the point," Judy nodded. "Bunny weddings are kinda crazy, so it helps to have someone who is one that understands the culture and logistics."

"Oh God, yeah," Nick realized, slumping back into his chair. "I don't even want to think about what the venue is going to cost for all those bunnies..."

"Ah well, if you want your wedding to have a more personal touch," Susie explained, "the way bunny weddings usually go these days is only the closest siblings and family attend, then the rest of the bridal couple's friends. However, the wedding is also live streamed via powerful cameras to the family's main abodes and wherever else it is needed.

"Hm," Nick frowned, "that sounds a little impersonal."

"It's what has to be done," Judy gave a small smile. "Else, like you said, we'd need to rent a huge place, and deal with dozens of kids running up and down the aisle at all times."

"Ah yeah," Nick groaned. "The kids."

"Don't worry," Judy laughed. "I'll make sure only my most behaved siblings are at the actual wedding."

"I know that's a lie," Nick ribbed her, "because you want Jenny to be your maid of honor, don't you?" Judy giggled.

"As far as the venue," Susie continued. "Do you have any thoughts there?"

"I'd really kind of like it to be outside," Nick looked at Judy. She nodded.

"Mezzo Park? It's very pretty..."

"And very expensive," Susie showed her teeth in a wince. "Especially in the springtime."

"I have a few ideas how we might be able to cut some costs," Nick said, looking smugly at Judy.

"Nicholas!" Judy said in disapproval. "We are not going to go around and beg our friends to perform functions at our wedding for us!"

"Not beg, ask," Nick said, "and no one said they had to be free. I would personally much prefer if we got as many people as we knew into this whole shebang as possible."

"I mean, that would be kinda nice," Judy tilted her head.

"All right then, why don't you take my card and keep in touch with me?" Susie grinned. "See what you can come up with, and I'll make sure all the t's are dotted and i's are crossed." Nick held up a finger. "Oh, other way around." She giggled. "I mean, good! You were paying attention."

The three laughed.

* * *

-A Bevy of Flowers-

Judy and Nick had barely gotten into the Otterton's flower shop before the small, slinky form of Mrs. Otterton was upon Judy, hugging her.

"Judy Hopps!" Mrs. Otterton squeezed her. "Oh, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Judy shot a glance to Nick. "Well, if I told you we were here for... slightly selfish reasons, maybe you could guess?"

Mrs. Otterton looked between the two, releasing Judy. She seemed confused and contemplative. Then, suddenly, realization flashed over her otter face. She squeaked in delight, hugging Judy.

"Think she got it?" Nick wondered. Mrs. Otterton released Judy and called out for her husband.

"Emmitt? Oh Emmitt? Judy Hopps and her fox want us to do their wedding!" She looked back at them. "Er, that is it, right?"

Nick nodded. "She got it."

"A wedding, now?" Emmitt smiled, walking closer. "Between a bunny and a fox? Marvelous! Of course we will do it. Did you have any thoughts about the colors you would like?"

"We were thinking blue and orange," Judy smiled. "We've kind of got a blueberry/carrot theme planned for the reception."

"My dear, those are bold colors," Mrs. Otterton laughed.

"Bold colors for a bold, progressive wedding, I'd say," Emmitt chuckled. "We will dazzle you with the boldest, brightest floral arrangements you've ever seen. And it will be free of charge."

"No!" Judy protested, waving her hands. "No, I can't do that to you, come on!"

"Judy, dear," Mrs. Otterton smiled warmly. "Please allow us to give you this small kindness. You saved my Emmitt. I owe you my happiness. And don't try to tell me it was 'just your job' or anything, either. I saw the tenderness and drive in your eyes when you agreed to find Emmitt. You visited his hospital room both when he was sick and recovering. Your heart is so big, dear. Please, just let us do this for you."

Judy sniffled a bit. "I mean, when you put it that way..."

Mrs. Otterton hugged her again. Emmitt shook Nick's hand. "Give us your name, son."

"Nick Wilde," Nick said, shaking the small otters hand gently.

"Well Nick, we told you what we think of Judy, so you take care of her, you hear?" Emmitt smiled.

"Always do my best, sir."

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters-

Judy hummed to herself happily as she did some case file work on her computer. She was amazed she was still able to concentrate on her work so well with her wedding approaching. She was glad though, as well, because she knew she'd probably be chewed out by Chief Bogo if her performance dropped. Karen Skippel, an arctic hare technical officer at the ZPD, and one of Judy's friends, peeked her head into her cubicle.

"Hi Judy," Karen greeted softly.

"Hey Karen," Judy said brightly, then did a double take. "Oh, Karen! I wanted to talk to you about my wedding."

"You'd like me to come?" Karen nodded.

"Oh, well that's a given," Judy laughed. "And bring Crystal, too!" Karen's ears heated up slightly at the mention of the snow leopard in question. "But, I was wondering... we're doing the bunny-wedding type thing, so we need a techie on board to make the live streaming happen."

"Oh, would you like me to do that?" Karen smiled lightly.

"Is there any other technical officer in this world I'd rather have?" Judy smirked. Then, she looked left and right suspiciously, and lowered her voice. "Oh uh, I also might need it streamed via an encrypted channel to the Big residence."

"The big what residence?" Karen looked confused. Then, her pupils shrank as realization came on her. "Oh, uh, I'll... see what I can do?"

Judy vehemently put her finger to her lips and Karen nodded. The arctic hare then pulled out a small card and handed it over, face down, and placed it on Judy's desk. "I was wondering if maybe I could do that at your wedding, too?"

Judy peeked at the card and set it back down. "Oh, you can do that? I never would have guessed!"

"Yeah well it's just a hobby, I don't like advertising it," Karen shrugged.

"Of course, please!" Judy smiled, getting up. "Thank you very much." She offered her hand out to Karen to shake it, but Karen surprised her by giving her a brief hug. Judy had an impressed and bewildered look on her face before moving to return it.

"Hope that fox lives up to the hype," Karen smirked, letting her go.

* * *

-Mezzo Park-

Nick wandered around alone at Mezzo park, looking at some of the open fields, imagining the stage and chairs for the wedding being set up. He really wanted the wedding to be there. Wandering around, he caught sight of Vivian Reddish, a vixen about Judy's age who operated a fruit stand. It had been quite a long time since he and Judy actually helped her out by apprehending a robber for her, but Judy had become fast friends with her anyway, despite failing to set Nick and Vivian up on a date. Nick decided to walk over to go say hi. Vivian noticed him, waving with each of her fingers on one hand.

"Well well," Vivian smiled broadly. "If it isn't Nick Wilde."

"Soon to be Nick Wilde-Hopps," he held up a finger.

"You're going to hyphenate?" Vivian marveled. "That is so _adorable_!"

"Yeah well, she's as much mine as I'm hers," Nick chuckled. Vivian gave a hum of delight at that. "You're coming to the wedding, of course."

"I wouldn't miss it!" Vivian said brightly.

"Oh, a question," Nick put his hands into his pockets. "You don't cater, do you?"

"Well, I certainly could try," Vivian said. "I haven't before. At least, I could handle the drinks, if you want me to do that."

"I think Judy would appreciate it," Nick nodded.

Vivian held up a finger and searched the sky with her eyes. "In fact, I have gray fox and kit fox vixen friends who do wedding catering. I'll get you their info."

"As long as they wouldn't mind working at a pred-prey wedding," Nick gave a grimace.

"Ahh Nick, you know how much I adore Judy, I wouldn't be friends with any prey-haters," Vivian smiled, giving Nick a card.

"Oh and please," Nick put his hands together in supplication, "Judy is going to _kill_ me if you don't let us pay for your help. I know you give her free smoothies all the time."

"Don't worry, don't worry," Vivian laughed. "I'll let her pay for my services. I _guess_. ...Only enough to cover the costs though. I'm not about to make money off of your happiness."

"I guess that's better than nothing," Nick shrugged. He gave a small exhale of amusement. "You are really nice though, I can see why Judy tried to hook us up."

Vivian bat her eyes. "Oh, is it that obvious? I'd never get in between a bunny and her fox, though." She winked.

"See you soon, Vivian," Nick smirked.

* * *

-Lilliputian Bridal Boutique-

Judy stood up with her arms out in the fitting room of the bridal boutique, wearing only undergarments. Her favorite sister, Jenny, a fifteen-year old light gray bunny, was taking her measurements in various areas. Susie, the wedding planner, fussily pulled dress after dress along a rack.

"I don't want anything too fancy," Judy said.

"Oh come on," Jenny said, "don't cheap out on your _wedding day_ , for crying out loud. Now's your chance to really wow everyone."

"I'm not 'cheaping out', Jenny," Judy scolded. "I really don't like frilly dresses. I want something smooth and elegant, with a very small train. Not a lot of decorations. I know Nick is going to look just so smooth in his suit. I want to be smooth, too."

"An understated dress would really help the wedding's budget," Susie said, looking at her notes. "Oh, where are we on rings? I just have a big question mark there."

"We're just going to use our engagement rings," Judy explained. "They are very sentimental to us, and I don't think I could find any other rings that are more perfect."

"All right, if that's what you'd like," Susie nodded, smiling, adjusting some figures. "Mezzo park is looking more and more possible by the minute."

"How's the wedding party looking? Ow, Jenny!" Judy flinched. "Do you really have to measure my ears? I don't want a veil."

"Just wanted to see how long they were," Jenny grinned. "Wow. They're big. Oh, I still get to be the maid of honor, right?"

"For now," Judy smirked at her.

"I have Jayce Hopps listed here as the best man, and several other members," Susie twiddled her pen.

"Nick wants Jayce to be the best man?" Judy seemed confused. "I thought he would choose Finnick."

"Well you know Jayce is basically like the rabbit version of Nick," Jenny laughed. "Those two are so chummy when Nick comes over to visit."

"I do have a 'Finnick' listed on the bridal party," Susie confirmed.

"Please tell me he's not the ring bearer," Judy's eyes half-lid. Jenny laughed.

"No, that's one of your youngest brothers, I believe," Susie looked. A dress caught Judy's eye.

"Ooh, I like this," Judy said, smiling. "Let me try it on."

* * *

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment-

Judy punched some numbers into her phone and held it up to one of her ears.

"Hullo?" An accented voice came over the other end.

"Oh, I was hoping to reach you, Gideon," Judy smiled. "It's me, Judy!"

"Judy Hopps?" Gideon said excitedly. "Shore didn't expect to hear from you! You n' that fox get hitched yet?"

"And not tell you?" Judy smiled. "I'm calling you to ask you to be a part of the wedding!" There was a brief pause.

"Aw, are you sure, Judy?" Gideon's voice sounded a bit crestfallen. "You know I don't deserve that. I know how bunny weddings are, n' you only have limited seats."

"Well, how would you like to bake our cake for us?" Judy asked.

"You'd want me to do that?" Gideon asked. "After all I did to you?"

"Water under the bridge, Gideon," Judy smirked. "You're the highest-rated pastry chef in the tri-burrows now. Don't tell me you're not; I saw you on the cover of that magazine the last time I went to Bunnyburrow."

"Aw shucks, Judy," Gideon said, "I mean, if you really want..."

"Please, Gideon?" Judy's tone was pleading, but pleasant.

"...Oh all right," Gideon said warmly. "I'll whip y'all up the tastiest dang cake y'ever had."

"Thank you so much," Judy said gratefuly. "Can you make it a carrot cake with blueberries?"

"A'course!" Gideon said. "Ah, listen Judy, I gotta go make a delivery. Can I talk to you later?"

"Certainly," Judy grinned. "Oh and check for your invitation in the mail, okay?"

"Thank ya, Judy, catch ya later."

Judy smiled and hung up the phone. Nick flinched as she leaped onto his reclined form on the couch.

"Well, just about all that's left is figuring out where we want to go on our honeymoon," Judy smiled. "My vote is Bunnyburrow; I know you like it there."

"Yeah, but maybe we should go somewhere we don't have such an emotional connection to," Nick mused. "Somewhere pretty. How about Pawaii?"

"Ooh, I've never been there!" Judy seemed to like the idea. "It'll be so great to see all the sights there."

"That is, uh," Nick said hesitantly. "If we can make it out of our hotel room."

"Hmhm," Judy smirked amorously. "That might be a problem, indeed..."

Nick gave a gentle laugh as Judy began to pet his tummy.

"It's all falling into place, Nick," Judy smiled widely. "We just gotta meet with Susie tomorrow to finalize everything, then it should be a straight shot to the wedding." Nick looked into Judy's eyes, and took a slow, deep breath and exhale. "Something wrong, Nick?"

"Stomach butterflies," Nick said.

"Not cold feet, I hope," Judy said warmly, rubbing her feet against his. Nick shook his head.

"When I see you coming down the aisle in that wedding dress..." Nick trailed off. "...It's probably going to be like you're lifting me up, spinning me around, and slamming me into the ground."

Judy shook her head, laughing. "What?"

Nick smirked. "I'm saying, you're a knockout, Judy."

"Really?" Judy giggled, rubbing Nick's chest.

"Yeah," Nick smiled, and then his face started to go soften even more, the look very rare for him. "You're the... the most gorgeous creature I've ever seen."

" _Really_...?" Judy gasped, nuzzling over him energetically. "Oh Nick, tell me more!"

"I'd better stop there," Nick chuckled. "Any more and you'd have to drill a hole in me to let the sap out."

"Nick...!" Judy continued nuzzling all over him. Nick noticed she was doing this more lately; she loved rubbing her face all over him. Maybe it was a sign of belonging, or ownership. Either way, Nick really liked it. Nick allowed himself to sniff over the questing bunny face.

"You smell really nice," Nick said happily, his tail wagging against the couch behind him. Then, he picked up a different smell. "...But I should probably stop complimenting you, because I want to be able to walk tomorrow."

"I'll go easy on you this time, Nick," Judy whispered affectionately.

* * *

-Mezzo Park-

Nick felt frozen in time. The wedding had begun, and he was standing in his place. He looked briefly down at his blue tie to make sure it was the best knot he had ever tied. He felt slightly uncomfortable in his black, immaculate wedding suit, but that was the least of his apprehensions. He looked around at the wedding stage. There was Leodore Lionheart, ready to officiate it, and the wedding party on both sides. Nick swallowed. He felt like all eyes were on him as they waited for the bride. The party was mostly bunnies: everything from the young ring bearer bunny boy, who stood still and had an amusingly serious look on his face at his duty, to the flower girl, who was picked as she was one of the most well-behaved of Judy's smallest sisters. Jenny and Jayce were both looking at him with a proud sort of expectancy. He briefly turned to look at Finnick, the small, grumpy fennec fox, who was also on the groom's side. Finnick just smirked at him, adjusting his coat. He knew he looked good. This lightened Nick's apprehension a little bit. Turning out to the audience, he saw so many familiar faces.

Benjamin Clawhauser. The rotund cheetah looked about ready to explode. His face kept looking between Nick and where Judy was to appear. Nick smirked. Benjamin had been hoping Nick and Judy would get together from pretty much day one. Now that the day was finally here, Nick wondered if Benjamin wasn't more excited than they were.

Chief Bogo. Nick was glad that it was with his buffalo boss' good graces they were getting married, and that it wasn't causing too much trouble at the precinct. Bogo had his arms crossed and a slightly bored expression on his face. It was the happiest Nick had ever seen him.

The Ottertons. They both shared a chair together with their two children. Mr. and Mrs. Otterton were wrapped up with each other so tight that it was hard to tell where one otter ended and the other began. Nick looked at all of their bold, orange and blue floral arrangements decorating the area, knowing he'd see more of them at the reception. And, of course, one in Judy's hands. He took a halting breath. Steady now, he thought to himself.

Karen Skippel. The white arctic hare was a busy bunny in the back, making sure all of the cameras were working, and looking at computers to make sure the streams were live and operational. Her face was very serious; she did her job with the utmost care. She caught Nick looking at her and gave a firm nod and a thumbs up.

Bonnie Hopps and Mary Ann Wilde, Judy and Nick's mothers. They both had their gazes fixed on him. They both looked so warmly affectionate at the fox, who was barely managing to hide his nerves.

So many others he noticed in the audience. It was a veritable menagerie of animals, all of which cared about Nick and Judy and wanted to see them declare their love for each other. It was a lot to take in, and Nick felt like he could think forever about each of the guests. However, there were two notable exceptions. Stu Hopps, and...

There they were. Stu Hopps showed up with his arm in Judy's. Nick's breath caught in his throat. She was absolutely stunning. Her plain, smooth white dress exposed her pretty gray shoulders, and the only decoration in the field of soft white material was a small orange brooch. She was carrying a bouquet of white, orange, and blue flowers that really popped out, and Nick swore he could smell them from far away. She stepped slowly among the petals laid out by the flower girl, and her walking almost seemed to be happening in slow motion. After his glinting green eyes took in her dress, they locked onto Judy's twinkling purple ones. She was staring at him with the softest, warmest smile he had ever seen. He almost felt like he was choking; he adjusted his head and slightly opened his mouth, feeling trapped in a spell of beauty that she was casting. His fists clenched and loosened behind him as he tried to avoid buckling under his swelling emotions. Nick could feel his tail involuntarily swishing against the stage. There were oohs and aahs at Judy's lovely presence, as well as light laughing as they saw Nick's reaction to her. Judy's smile only broadened slightly, becoming somehow even more tender and amazing, and she didn't even flinch to giggle. She knew Nick's body was only communicating something everyone there already knew: that he loved her.

After that small eternity passed, Stu took his chair by Bonnie. Surprisingly, he wasn't crying yet. Maybe he had gotten it all out of his system. Judy headed onstage and walked over to Nick. Each step was like a photograph Nick took in his mind, and she looked incredible in all of them. She handed off her bouquet to Jenny and took her place next to Nick. Their paws immediately, instinctively reached for each other, their hands holding together gently. Their fingers softly rubbed against each other, taking in each others fur texture, before the trance was finally broken by Leodore Lionheart.

"It is often said that in Zootopia, anyone can be anything," Leodore began, his powerful, yet warm voice filling the air. "Here today we are joined to see just how true that statement can sometimes be. These two are both the very first police officers of their kinds, and today they wish to join together in marriage. A predator." He indicated Nick. "And a prey." He indicated Judy. "We're here to celebrate their journey that has brought them to this point, and will carry on into the future. Now, we shall hear from their own muzzles their declarations of mutual love. Nicholas Wilde, your vows, please."

"Judy Hopps," Nick began, focusing all of his attention on saying the words correctly. "You are everything to me. You pulled me out of the darkest moments of my life, and into your personal, blinding sunlight. Why do you think I have to wear sunglasses all the time?" There was light laughter at that remark. "I cherish you, deeply, Judy. I will follow you to the ends of this Earth and beyond. You are my most precious treasure, and I will _never_ give you up." Judy felt her breath quickening at Nick's earnest, loving face. She kind of wished she had gone first.

"Judy Hopps, your vows?" Leodore asked kindly.

"Nicholas Wilde," Judy took a deep, shaky breath, trying to keep her voice from trembling. "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being someone I can trust, someone I can love, and someone I can share my entire being with. I'm standing here today because of your _amazing_ kindness and boundless faith, which has kept me grounded into this world and from flying away into the ether. You are the one, the _only_ one I could even think about taking this world on together with. May all the rest of my days have you in them."

Leodore smiled. Stu had begun to cry. The rest of the audience looked quite enthralled.

"Nicholas Wilde, do you take this bunny, Judy Hopps, to be your wife?" Leodore asked.

"Do I take Judy Hopps to be my wife? Yes, yes I do." Nick smiled gently.

"And Judy Hopps, do you take this fox, Nicholas Wilde, to be your husband?"

Judy gave a shaky sigh. "Do I take Nicholas Wilde to be my husband? Yes... yes I do."

"The rings, please," Leodore gently motioned to the serious looking bunny boy holding them, who finally got to march forward and present the rings as he had practiced so many times. He looked very stern and proud.

"With this ring, you are my prey," Nick said shakily, gently placing on the gold ring with an emerald and bordering citrine on Judy's middle finger of her left hand. The symbol of Nick's fur and eyes, finally coming to its symbolic resting place. Judy felt her heart warm, as she had felt incomplete without it.

"With this ring, you are my predator..." Judy said, barely finishing the sentence. As the silver ring with a handsome inlaid amethyst slipped onto Nick's middle finger of his left hand, he again felt whole. The metaphor of his gray bunny with her purple eyes sat sparkling on his hand, where it belonged.

"With the authority vested in me by the City of Zootopia," Leodore said, placing a grandiose edge into his voice, "I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss the bride! Please!"

Nick wondered if Judy would just jump into his arms, but it all happened very smoothly and naturally. He leaned down slightly as she leaned up. His hands framed her cheeks intimately, and one of her hands found his wrist, and the other, his cheek. Their eyes shut as they joined for their kiss. It happened so easily; their bodies moving in unison to proclaim their love to all who were watching. The kiss lasted for quite a long time. There was applause, cheering, and pictures being snapped. Benjamin Clawhauser's voice was rather distinct among the rest of the cheering.

"Citizens of Zootopia," Leodore called out bombastically, "may I present to you: Nicholas and Judy Wilde-Hopps!"

* * *

-Savanna Central Mezzo Reception Hall-

The next few hours seemed to whizz by in a blur of activity. The dinner was great, the drinks were great, and the fellowship had begun. Nick teased Judy by holding the fork away from her while he was giving her the first bite of the wedding cake, which created many amusing pictures. Flurries of moments and pictures occurred. Gideon, Nick and Judy all took one together, with the former looking quite embarrassed to be at the wedding, having a cyan polka dot bow tie on. Nick and Judy were sure to get one with Jenny and Jayce. Even their wedding planner, Susie, was there, pleased that the events were unfolding so well, and it wasn't long before the husband and wife showed up to get a picture with her, too. The DJ turned up some nice music.

"Whew, well, it's finally happened," Stu said to Judy. "I think I've cried just about all the tears I have."

"Oh, dad," Judy smiled, hugging him.

"That was a wonderful ceremony, Judy, just so very lovely," Bonnie looked quite happy.

"Nicholas, what a sweetheart you are," Mary hugged him.

"Did I pass out at all, mom?" Nicholas asked her. "Did I lose conciousness at _any_ time?"

"No, dear," Mary laughed.

Judy grinned, her mouth open as Benjamin Clawhauser approached.

"Judy!" Benjamin yelled out. "I just want to say, your wedding was _amazing_! Your dress! You look so... so... sooo..." Benjamin looked like he was swelling to the point of bursting at trying to find the right word.

"You can say it, Ben," Judy half lid her eyes and smiled wryly.

"CUTE!" Benjamin shouted. "Oh em goodness, you are so cute! Amazingly cute! Devastatingly cute! Ridiculously cute!"

"Feel better now?" Judy smirked.

"Much," Benjamin panted.

"Hey there, Finnick," Nick grinned, heading up to his small fennec fox acquaintance. "Sorry you weren't my best man, but you know, you _are_ like a son to me."

"Let's not say anything that would make this wedding get violent," Fennec flashed his teeth as he joked in his deep voice. "I've got some ladies to mingle with. Ciao." He headed into a group of female bunnies.

"Boy, get 'em while they're hot," Nick quipped.

"Geeyudee!"

Judy turned toward the unmistakable accent of Fru Fru the shrew, Mr. Big's daughter. She was walking in her prissy, twiddling way towards her on a table so she could see her.

"Oh Fru Fru, you did make it!" Judy was quite happy.

"My husband, daddy and I had ta catch the wedding by the loive stream, you know how he can cause trouble," Fru Fru said, "but omigawd, I have waited FOIVE YEARS to get ta say this ta you. I _love_ your dress."

"Aw, thank you!" Judy returned, flicking her wrist with the other hand to her cheek.

"Nickadee!"

Nick recognized the voice of Crystal, a female snow leopard he knew from high school.

"Hey Crystal," Nick greeted. "How's things going with Skip?"

"Wow, are you really going to ask me about my Kari on _your_ wedding night? Your _incredibly sappy_ wedding night?" Crystal ribbed him.

"Humor me here," Nick said, "my heart has been pounding out of my chest for most of the day."

"Kari's just great, Nick," Crystal said. "She's really a sweetheart. She's a bit cracked, but not broken. I'm doing my best to mend her. She likes purrs."

"I knew you had a decent person somewhere deep, _deep_ in you," Nick smirked. "By the way, where IS Skip, anyway? I haven't seen her all night."

"Yes you have, you doofus, look," Crystal turned him to point at the DJ at the turntables. It was a white arctic hare with sunglasses on, bobbing her head to the music with pursed lips.

"Skip is the DJ?" Nick seemed baffled.

"Yeah, it's a hobby of hers," Crystal laughed. "Isn't she cute up there in those silly glasses?"

"She know you call her that?" Nick sipped his drink.

"Uh huh," Crystal laughed. "I can tell she likes it cause I put my hand on her ear when I say it, then it gets warmer."

"All right, everybody!" Karen called out. "Clear the dance floor! It's time for the bride and groom to dance for us!" Judy gasped and headed up to the vacating dance floor. "Get up there, Nick! Your bunny bride's been waiting for this one all night!" Nick smiled and headed up to his radiant wife. "Are you ready? Three! Two! One!"

 _"Oh, oh, oh, oh-oh..."_

"Oh no, not _this_ song!" Nick's jaw dropped. "Judy, this is going to DESTROY me!"

Judy smiled enchantingly. "Close your muzzle, and dance with me, sweetheart."

 _"I messed up tonight, I lost another fight, I still mess up but I'll just start again..."_

They began to dance. Their dancing was somewhere between energized and intimate. They flowed around each other together smoothly like they had practiced it for years. It was not a slow dance, but it wasn't frenzied either. It seemed to be just the right tempo to communicate their relationship to their onlookers.

 _"Birds don't just fly, they fall down and get up, nobody learns without getting it wrong..."_

Judy felt a wobbly smile come out as they danced, her eyes sparkling with tears that were trying their hardest to escape. Both she and Nick had made so many mistakes, but there they were. All of their actions thus far had led to this amazing moment they were sharing. Judy noticed that Nick was mirroring her energy in the dance instead of letting her lead him.

 _"Look how far you've come, you filled your heart with love, baby you've done enough, take a deep breath..."_

The lyrics cut Nick like a knife. Never had they felt so fitting to him. He was giving it his best; all the anxiety and fears he had endured to get here had finally passed, and all he had left was his incredible gray bunny bride, dancing joyfully around him. He choked back a whimper as he felt emotion start to grab hold of him.

 _"Oh, oh, oh, oh-oh..."_

As the song began to end, Judy couldn't take it anymore. She leaped up into Nick's instantly supportive embrace, and they kissed, deeply. A few tears rolled down both of their eyes, but no one there could see that in the soft light. All they saw was a fox and a bunny who were perfect partners. The cheering at their kiss was raucous.

 _"Try everything..."_


	13. Partners in Paradise

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment-

"I keep falling down, I keep on hitting the ground; I always get up now to see what's next!" Judy Wilde-Hopps sang as she happily bounced around her bedroom of their apartment, which she had turned into a sort of office after the two started just using Nick Wilde-Hopps' room to sleep in. She had earbuds sunk into her ears and was dancing joyfully around Nick as he worked on their computer, sitting in a chair at the desk.

Nick pulled an earbud from out of ear, making her halt. "All right, honey bunny, how long are you going to keep singing that song? It's making it a little hard to concentrate."

"Sorry, Nick," Judy smiled, "but isn't it kinda _our_ song now?"

"I don't remember agreeing to that," Nick smirked. Judy took her other earbud out and put her hands on Nicks shoulders, kissing both of his black ears, then leaning down to nuzzle his foxy face from the side. "Aw, hey, sweetheart."

"Thank you for doing up our honeymoon itinerary," Judy smiled appreciatively, kissing his cheek. "How's that coming, anyway?"

"Well, it's nearly done, one button click and we're off to Pawaii," Nick began, "but do you want to talk about it a bit before we commit to this?"

"Why, what's there to talk about?" Judy shrugged.

"Uh, plenty," Nick smirked. "First off, pretty much everyone there is a predator, minus one or two species, so it might be hard for you and I to get to food there. I'm sure we'll manage, but... anyway, also, the name 'Pawaii' is a bit of a misnomer. We'd say it 'Claweye'."

"So it's a different language there, then," Judy nodded. "Is there any significance to the name?"

"Well, the residents there have slit eyes, as if opened by claws," Nick went on, "they're reptiles."

"Reptiles," Judy said in hushed awe. "I remember reading about those in school. I don't know if I've ever actually seen one in the fur."

"Scales," Nick corrected. "They don't have fur, or paws for that matter. I'm just saying this because... you know. It might be a bit of a culture schock."

"Oh Nick, please," Judy said, lolling her ears as her head sagged to the side. "I've been trying to be better. On trying not to be judgemental."

"Just saying, they're a _lot_ different," Nick held up his hands near his face.

"Do _you_ have any reservations about going?"

"Yeah, but for a different reason," Nick said, reading from the computer screen. "Apparently, Pawaii was in the middle of some sociopolitical turmoil up until a couple of years ago. The details are a bit vague, but only since it passed that travel restrictions have been lifted."

"Oh, goodness," Judy looked worried. "Well, is it _safe_ to go?"

"Oh yeah, lots of positive reviews on hotels and entertainment and no news articles on anything bad happening," Nick said. "It's just, we won't really know what we'll be getting into."

Judy looked at the pictures offered of Pawaii and the beach-side hotel they were going to book. "Oh but Nick, it's gorgeous, and we really don't have any other backup plans. Let's go, please?"

Nick nodded, pressing the button to finalize. "Okay, we're doing it."

"All right!" Judy smiled brightly, but her voice had a bit of nervousness as she continued. "It's just a different language, different customs, and different species and class of animal altogether! How weird could it be?"

* * *

-Pawaii International Airport Arrivals-

"I mean, it's pretty weird," Judy said with a finger raised meekly, "I want you to know I said that thing before we left somewhat facetiously."

The airport, even as they just got off the plane, was full of animals both had never seen before. Tiny lizards skittered around haltingly; they were barely as big as the mice back home, and twice as thin. Judy had become very mindful of her step. Turtles and tortoises of various colors and shell types and face shapes walked around. These kind of reminded Judy of the armadillos and pangolins of Zootopia. Larger reptiles like komodo dragons and iguanas passed them by, some barely bigger than Judy, and some approaching Nick's size. There seemed to be no end to the variety in difference of size and scale of the animals there as they all walked around. The colors of the various reptiles contained a lot of greens and browns, Judy observed. Barely any mammals were at the airport besides Nick and Judy, and they were mostly pairs of same species animals, probably tourists as well.

"Not having second thoughts, are you?" Nick said, adjusting his tie and bending over as he and Judy received a traditional flower lei from a couple of small turtle females, who said "welcome to Pawaii" in Nick and Judy's language.

"No, not at all," Judy said. "This isn't so bad." Her ears twitched and moved around as she took in the unfamiliar language being spoken in the open-air airport. There were a lot of "s" sounds, she noticed, but it sounded like garbled noise to her. "All these animals are just like us, aren't they? Except they're all predators, and all... scaly, and _oh my goodness gracious_ they don't have any arms or legs!"

Judy was staring at a male and female couple of black rat snakes. They indeed had no arms or legs, and wore shirts that thus had no arm or leg holes. They "stood" up in a J shape, with their tails held in the air and their heads tipped to be parallel with the floor at the top. The two noticed Judy staring and rolled their eyes and slightly turned away.

"Good grief, fluffbum, don't stare," Nick said, grabbing onto her head and turning it gently away from them. Nick though allowed his eyes to linger on the snakes for a moment, taking in how they held their drinks with the ends of their tails. "Huh." He was interested, and a little impressed. He wondered briefly what it was like to have a prehensile tail.

"Oh gosh you're right, what's wrong with me?" Judy wrung her hands. "We need to just get our luggage and get to our hotel before I embarrass myself any further." Judy noticed another couple of snakes, a male king snake and a female grass snake, looking at them. They looked more amused and interested in the two mammals, and waved the tips of their tails at Nick and Judy. Judy gasped. "Oh, Nick, these two are friendly, let's go say hi!"

Before Nick could object, Judy was yanking Nick by his wrist to go over and talk to them.

"Hello!" Judy greeted enthusiastically. "My name is Judy Wilde-Hopps. I'm from Zootopia! I've never been to Pawaii before, and I just have to say that I am being immersed in the most unimaginable cultural experience right now! I hope that as my husband and I's vacation goes on, we'll come to understand so much about you and your- URK!" Nick tugged Judy by the collar, which halted her babbling. "Nick!"

"You're embarrassing yourself further," Nick sang. Judy turned her head back to the snakes, who were staring at her with bewilderment and bemusement. They made a few gestures to each other with their tails that looked like shrugs, speaking words that Judy didn't understand. Then, they just turned back to the two mammals and waved again with the tail tips, pointed especially at Judy, who they were beaming at.

"O-oh, right, they don't speak mammalian," Judy's ears started to feel hot.

Nick stepped forward and took a deep breath, preparing to try to say, very carefully, a phrase he had been practicing that he knew might come in handy in reptilian. "Hello, please excuse my crazy wife and I. We do not speak reptilian." The snakes looked instantly charmed by the fact that Nick was trying so hard to say this, their jaws opening in amusement. Judy tried not to flinch at just how wide their jaws could open. Then, at the content of his message, they held their tail tips up close to their mouths and began to laugh, their tongues flitting out of their mouths as they did. It sounded like: "Ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss!"

Judy began to walk away with Nick. "Well that was uh, _sweet_? Do you know much reptilian?"

"Nope, that's it," Nick smirked, his hands in his pockets.

"So what did you say...?" Judy asked suspiciously.

"I told them to please forgive my lovely wife and I for not being able to speak their language," Nick replied. Judy was unconvinced, as the snakes still looked like they were laughing and hugging around each other's necks with their tails.

"You did not say that," Judy said wryly.

"No, no I did not," Nick grinned. Then, he flicked his hand at a big bug that flew by him. "One disadvantage of an open-air airport, I guess?"

"I bet there's a lot of bugs here," Judy nodded, cowering slightly from the big bug as it flew closer to her, "have to be to support such a large population of predaTORS!?" Judy flinched as she saw a flash of pink across her vision and the bug vanished.

They both turned to look and saw a strange animal about a foot shorter than Judy. It was a chameleon, and he smacked his lips at his fortuitous snack. He was dressed in a straw hat and floral shirt.

"Ah, mammals," the chameleon smirked. His unusual, telescoping eyes turned independently, one to look at Nick, and the other at Judy. Both Nick and Judy's eyebrows raised at this. "Welcome to my fair Pawaii."

"Ah, you speak mammalian?" Judy asked.

"Little bit," the chameleon wobbled a hand. "I hope you will enjoy it here. Many sights to see, bugs to eat. But, be careful you do not get into trouble."

"What sort of trouble?" Nick crossed his arms.

The chameleon nodded over behind them. "The big trouble." Judy and Nick turned to look, and saw two rather enormous male crocodiles talking to each other. They both seemed like were more than ten feet tall, not including their massive tails that trailed behind them. Both of them were speaking reptilian to each other, but seemed to be doing it in sneers, barely opening their snouts. When they noticed they were being looked at they turned away in distaste after glaring briefly at the three.

"Wow, those guys looked straight out of some of those old sci-fi movies," Judy marveled.

"The crocodiles, alligators, and largest tortoises, they are called the 'snappers'," the chameleon went on. "Very dangerous. Do not give them your time. They may try to do the, what do you mammals say... sweet talk? This, we call 'crocodile tears'. Anyway..." the chameleon started to smile, and it seemed as if his whole face was changing shape to do it. Judy tried not to shiver as his eyes switched which targets they were looking at. "Please have fun in my country."

"Okay, thank you, bye," Nick said in irritation, and put a hand behind Judy and shooed her away from the chameleon.

"Wow, what a creepy guy," Judy ran her hands through her ears.

"Tell me about it," Nick sneered. "I don't see whats so bad about those crocodiles. They probably just turned away because he was making _us_ stare at them."

"Oh, I kinda meant his eyes and tongue," Judy giggled. "But yeah, uh, looks like not only Zootopia has problems with stereotyping. I just hope there's nothing legitimate to back that up."

Nick sighed. "We'll keep our eyes out, but I don't want my first impression of some reptile to be colored by a guy who might be a huge speciesist. He was rude enough to snap up a snack from right in front of your face, after all."

"You're right, Nick," Judy said. "Let's just get our luggage and see what we can discover in this place."

* * *

-Southern Pawaii Beachside Resort, Nick and Judy's Suite-

Nick and Judy had gotten themselves a rather nice, somewhat spacious room with a good view of the beach. In fact, on their first day, they actually just wanted to explore the beach and see what they could discover. Nick was getting on some palm-tree themed, bright green, yellow and white swim trunks that were somehow more visually noisy than the shirts he usually wore. Judy regarded herself in a mirror skeptically, wearing a navy blue, one-piece swimsuit.

"Mm..." Judy said, her brow furrowed. "Nick? ...Wait, what's that around your neck?" She saw a blue strip of cloth around his neck, and when he turned around, he was tying a tie. "NO. No! Nicholas Piberius Wilde-Hopps, you are NOT wearing a tie to the beach!" She stamped her foot in protest and pointed at the ground.

Nick chuckled, beginning to untie it. "Of course not, I just wanted you to say my new full name." Judy looked a bit baffled by this, but her expression quickly softened at seeing the simple tricks he would go to to manipulate her into doing what he wanted. For his trouble, she walked over and lightly sprang up, somehow gently touching her nose to Nick's without bashing the rest of her face into him. Nick grinned at the gesture as gravity pulled her back away from him.

"What do you think, Nick, do I look okay in this?" Judy held her arms out a bit.

"You look fine," Nick grinned, nearly finished taking off his tie.

"I dunno," Judy looked unsure. "Doesn't it kind of remind you of my police uniform?"

Nick unleashed a charming grin, and then looped the untied tie around Judy's back, drawing her closer to him with it as she squeaked in surprise.

"Lest you forget, Mrs. Wilde-Hopps," Nick smirked amorously at her. "I fell head-over-tail in love with a beautiful bunny in uniform..." He gave a gentle, low growl, his tail starting to swish smoothy and playfully.

Judy felt her breath hasten, her mouth slightly agape. Then, slowly, her mouth closed and her eyes half-lid. "Well now, Mr. Wilde-Hopps. You speak such sweet, honeyed words to me. Quite tasty." She licked both of her cheeks once with her tiny tongue in a very lapine fashion. A tiny glint of realization broke Nick out of his trance.

"Oh, we haven't even- we haven't even made it out of the door yet today, the first morning of our very expensive vacation..." Nick said sheepishly, noticing Judy's eyes were starting to narrow dangerously, a wide smile playing on her face. "I need to learn to control this tongue of mine."

"Ooh, no no _no_ ," Judy protested, enticingly rubbing her back and shoulders against the tie still encircling her. "I could never have that. I want that tongue to be able to run _wild_..."

"W-well now!" Nicks hands trembled. His tail was wagging furiously, but he did kind of also want to actually begin his vacation.

"Mmm..." Judy looked like she would pounce at any moment.

"What I am going to do... is... gently set this tie down," Nick said slowly, doing what he described, then his voice began to quickly increase in tempo. "Then I am going to run out this door and into the elevator _because I know if I don't leave now we'll never get out of here_!"

"Hmhmhm, stop in the name of the _law_ , Mr. Foxy," Judy called out flirtatiously, hot on his tail. "Don't resist my arrest...!"

* * *

-Southern Pawaii Coastline-

Somehow, Nick had managed to evade Judy long enough for her to calm down, and they began to walk on the beach. Time passed slowly as they walked and talked with each other, sometimes holding each others hand, sometimes not. Nick finally did feel like he was in paradise, being so close to his new wife. Sometimes when their hands weren't together, he would just gently bump his arm with hers, or swish his tail over her legs. Not a single gesture of his went unnoticed by Judy, who would treat him with either warm, affectionate gazes, or wry smirks, depending on where in the conversation they were. Nick greedily soaked in each one. Only rarely did he focus on the salty smelling air or the sound of the sea crashing against the beach.

Judy, too, was having fun just being around her fox with no obligations to worry about. Her duty many, many miles away, she finally felt at peace. In fact, even though she knew she was stronger physically than Nick in a lot of ways, she did enjoy that her mate was so much taller than her; there was a kind of comfort she felt in looking upwards and seeing a warm smile come down upon her, like a protection. She did notice though, deep inside, that her complete peace was sometimes jarred by seeing reptiles. She wasn't used to them, and they sometimes took her out of the moment. Things like a sunglasses-wearing, sunbathing iguana reminded her that they were in a foreign land, merely guests to this lovely island.

After awhile, they encountered a sea turtle who was just coming in from surfing on a wave on the beach. Nick peeked over first, seeing designs that looked like a rough graphic of the Earth, its seas and continents, painted right on his shell. The turtle was about four feet tall, matching Nick's height, and he walked over to Nick and Judy.

"Hey, mammals!" The turtles called to them in an accented voice. His eyes were kind of half-lid and he had many creases in his face, but Judy didn't know if they were scars or signs of age. His voice wasn't accented reptilian like the chameleon, it sounded laid back and carefree, quite like Yax's voice, Judy noted.

"Another reptile that can speak mammalian?" Judy was surprised.

"The name's Smash," the turtle said. "Huh, a fox and a bunny. That's new. Usually the tourists we get here are mammal pairs, like newlyweds or something. Huh! Oh you two aren't like secret agents or something are you?!" The turtle seemed interested.

"Oh no," Nick shook his head, indicating himself and Judy with his thumb. "We are, in fact, newlyweds."

"Oh I gotcha, 'newlyweds'," Smash winked, making air quotes with the small fingers on his flipper-like hands. "Haha wow, you guys barely have any room to hide your cool secret agent gear, and you even got rings for your cover. Oh, they dont like, shoot lasers, do they?"

Nick was rather incredulous. Judy began staring up at the sky, trying not to be amused.

"So uh, 'Smash'," Nick said, "That's not a Pawaiian name, is it? And your accent, you lived somewhere in Zootopia for some amount of time, maybe?"

"No yeah, you're right, Smash is just a mammalian word I thought sounded cool," Smash said, laughing. "And yeah, I was born in Pawaii, of course, but I toured the world for quite some time. I know mammalian, reptilian, and even some birdish! Oh, you wanna hear some?" The turtle began to make some bizarre screeching and squawking sounds. Nick and Judy cringed, trying to resist putting their hands over their ears. "Oh, maybe not, huh? Sorry, I forgot you guys kinda have sensitive hearing. Birdish is a tough language! So many dialects. Only a few species like mockingbirds can do the full range. And, a lot of them have this quirk where they'll say everything you say back to you."

"They'll say everything you say back to you, huh?" Nick joked. Judy ribbed him, her eyes narrow and expression displeased, without looking at him.

"Yeah, haha," Smash thought it was funny, anyway. "I wanted to come back to Pawaii sooner, but about twenty years into my trip, the 'stuff' happened. Delayed my return by another two decades! Thankfully the 'stuff' is all over now."

"Wait, you're how old, if you dont mind my asking?" Judy seemed flabbergasted.

"Oh, somewhere around eighty," Smash seemed to have to think about it. "Turtles age pretty gracefully, heh. And touring the world and surfing has kept my mind young."

"What's this about the 'stuff'?" Nick seemed wary, tilting his head to the side.

"Oh you know, don't you? You're secret agents!" Smash looked a bit concerned for the first time. "...The 'stuff' isn't brewing again, is it?"

"Okay, pretend for _one_ second that this bunny and I are, in fact, newlyweds, and that we have no idea what you're talking about," Nick begged in slight exasperation.

"Oh, if that were so," Smash seemed to think again, "then I shouldn't talk about it. It's really kinda a bummer. Oh but, it doesn't really concern mammals at all so don't worry, enjoy your honeymoon! You guys vegetarian?" Nick and Judy both nodded slowly. "You'll wanna take note of where the iguanas and tortoises are eating. They're some of the only veggie-eaters here. One of my best friends likes Li-gg-uie's. Not too far from here."

"Ah, thank you," Judy nodded at the recommendation. Then, suddenly, reptilian yelling broke out. Both Nick and Judy flinched in fear. Was the "stuff" approaching? A nude frilled lizard, with his frill popped and mouth gaping open ran between Nick and Judy and the turtle. He was pursued by two grumpy looking komodo dragons clad in black police uniforms and they tore across the beach. Nick and Judy's heads followed in abject bewilderment, and their puzzlement only turned to outright disbelief when the frilled lizard, with a very wide, slapping gait, took off on _top_ of the water and away from the Pawaii police officers, running into the distance. One officer's shoulders dropped as both of them stopped at the water's edge and he began to talk in reptillian into a radio. The other officer shook both of his fists and said something very loudly.

"Haha, that's not a nice word," Smash laughed. "Never a dull moment in Pawaii. Glad to be home."

* * *

-Outside of Li-gg-uie's-

Judy and Nick walked out of the restaurant, both smacking their lips.

"That was, uh, different," Judy said, "I mean, not just that streaking, water-walking lizard. I had no idea vegetables and nuts could be prepared like that. I mean it was tasty, and edible, but... is it just me or was it _really_ spicy?" She kept smacking her lips, sucking in air in discomfort.

"No, I am definitely feeling it," Nick started panting, and he hated doing that in public because he thought it looked undignified. Looking around, he discovered a frozen treat stand. "Oh look, a Pawpsicle stand!"

"No way," Judy grinned. "Do you think that's how they get you? Spicy food with cool treats nearby?"

"Well, if it is a hustle, it's working on me," Nick said, heading over. "Hey it even actually does have 'Paw' in the name, I recognize those letters from the Pawaii signs. Maybe its like a 'clawsicle'!" A look of almost childish glee came over Nick as he made that connection. Judy spotted the vendor, who was a male corn snake, with a little tiny bowler hat on. Judy's mouth burst open into a toothy grin; she thought that looked adorable.

The corn snake, for his part, was rather taken aback by the mammals approaching him with such happy looks, but he smiled to show his appreciation. Deciding to try his best for them, the corn snake indicated the flavors of his frozen treats with his head, but couldn't think of many mammalian words. "R-red? Or... ...blue?"

"Whoa, there's a callback," Judy laughed. "Let's do blue this time. Blue!" She pointed. The snake dropped down and slithered on the ground, and then rose up near the treats. Judy seemed delighted at how easy the serpentine motion was and how quickly he was then plucking both of the oblong 'clawsicles' with his tail tip. Nick smiled at Judy's pleasure.

Nick reached into his swim trunks. "Oh no, Judy, I don't think I have my wallet..." He shot her a concerned look.

"Oh, don't start," Judy rolled her eyes, "you paid for dinner like fifteen minutes ago."

"Darn," Nick smirked wryly. He pulled out a small bit of reptilian money and handed it to the corn snake. The corn snake went to make change and Nick waved his hand and thought hard. "Keep the... uh darn, forgot the word, keep the sports car." The snake looked baffled at his error, but started to laugh, getting the idea. "I think I got it wrong."

"You seem to be good at making snakes laugh!" Judy was amused.

"Hs-hs-hs-hs! Thhh-thank you!" The corn snake took his tail tip to tip his hat at them. Judy gave a little bounce in place, overjoyed at the cute gesture. The snake waved his tail tip and they waved their paws in return.

"I think snakes are kinda really cool, Nick," Judy smiled, licking her treat.

"Glad you're finally getting into it," Nick smirked, licking the 'clawsicle'. "Hm, pretty tasty. Mine are better, though."

"Oh yeah, _sure_ ," Judy berated him, "your second hand frozen pawpsicle juice is 'better'." Nick smiled at her. Judy's smile started to wane. "Nick, what do you think the 'stuff' is? The bummer 'stuff'?"

"Well, if it's a bummer, then I'm pretty sure we wouldn't want to know," Nick frowned. "If it's none of our business, it should stay that way. Let's not let it weigh down on the honeymoon."

A few minutes passed in quiet. Nick had wished the mood laid out by the cheerful corn snake hadn't been shattered. He looked at Judy, licking at the 'clawsicle' with her tiny tongue, wearing that navy blue swimsuit. Nick found himself smiling warmly at her, finding her adorable and attractive. Judy caught him looking at her and her ears rose again. Nick sighed in relief as he knew that meant she was feeling better. However, Judy started to lick at the 'clawsicle' more slowly, carefully, and earnestly. Nick's thoughts quickly tumbled away from him.

Judy grinned as she saw her teasing was working immediately. "Don't think I've forgotten what you said to me earlier today, Nick." She took another slow lick, then closed her mouth around the top of the treat, showing her front teeth, and grinning in a goofy fashion at him. Nick's feelings were confused. She looked ridiculous, but somehow provocative.

"I... what did I say again?" Nick was actually having a hard time remembering.

"Oh, have you forgotten?" Judy teased in a light tone. "Well, when we get back to the hotel room I'll just have to show you."

Nick let out a slow breath from his muzzle, his lips pursed. It was probably going to be a long night.

* * *

-Southern Pawaii Beachside Resort, Hallway-

"Ow... owww..." Nick stumbled into the hallway, wearing khaki shorts and an open, white and red Pawaiian shirt. He melodramatically slumped over onto the floor chest first, his knees bent and legs sticking into the air. "So, so sore..."

"Don't be such a wimp, Nick," Judy came out onto the hallway, wearing a white and sky blue Pawaiian shirt and khaki slacks, putting her hands on her hips after she buttoned her last button and stood over him. "It wasn't that bad."

"No no, it was incredible, that was the thing," Nick laughed weakly, "I've never seen you move that fast. You were a bunny blur... turbofluff... heh..."

"You knew what you were getting into when you married me," Judy smirked.

"Oh, did I?" Nick's shoulders chucked weakly. "I think I'll have to make sure to watch what I say to you if I want to survive this marriage."

Judy folded her arms, giving a smug smirk. "You know you love me." Nick didn't respond, but his tail started wagging, betraying his feelings. "Oh, 'yes, yes he does?' thank you, Mr. Fox-tail!"

"Wow dude, keep it together," Nick turned his head to chastise his own tail. He then struggled to his feet. "Ugh, maybe I should have waited till you were forty or something to marry you."

"Oh, how cute," Judy helped him up, "you think me being forty would save you."

"C'mon, still with the 'cute', Fluff?" Nick groaned. "It hurts a fox's pride."

"Too bad," Judy said, "because you _are_ cute. You're half-bunny now, legally, so I can say it all I want. Cute cute cute cute." To punctuate this, Judy poked at his exposed chest and tummy fur as if she was dialing a large telephone. Nick giggled slightly, but also was flinching at each poke. "Oh, you really are sore, huh?" Nick nodded. "Well, that's great! Remember where we're going today?"

"Uh, no?" Nick said hazily. "I can barely remember my _name_ at the moment."

"We're going to get a massage from leopard geckos!" Judy seemed excited.

"Oh huh, I must have missed that," Nick looked at his fingers, "did you put that into the itinerary?"

"Yeah, I thought it looked fun," Judy smiled.

"I didn't consider it because it might involve the removal of clothes," Nick shrugged.

"I've been doing lots of things on this honeymoon that involve that," Judy laughed, starting to head for the elevator with the slowly shuffling fox.

"Fair point," Nick conceded. "It is Nick, right? My name?"

"Nicholas Wilde-Hopps," Judy said proudly as they got into the elevator.

* * *

-Leopard Gecko Massage Parlor-

"Do you think leopard geckos have fur?" Judy asked curiously as they made their way into the building. Nick shrugged. The receptionist at the desk was a gold dust day gecko female, and she gave a tiny bit of an anxious smile as she saw the mammals approaching. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't say anything in mammalian. Apologizing in reptilian, she then gave them a reptilian greeting.

"Oh, she doesn't speak any mammalian," Nick noted. He marveled slightly at her green and red colors, with yellow speckles and a white underbelly. She was quite colorful.

"Ah... ah... steam or no steam?" The gecko asked.

Nick tried to remember the syntax and words. "N-no steam, please."

The gecko sighed in relief as that communicated what she needed to know and she indicated where they needed to go with a friendly smile.

"What did that mean?" Judy asked.

"Well, I think they have more sauna-like massages here," Nick explained, "extra hot ones, because reptiles absorb heat to deal with their body temperature a lot differently than mammals. I just don't want to be a damp-furred, roasted mess at the end of this."

"Leaving that to me, huh?" Judy quipped. Nick gave a nervous laugh. They were led to a room with two massage tables built fairly low to the ground. There was a team of five female leopard geckos. All of them looked slightly different. They were mostly yellow with black spotting, and Judy could thus see where their name had come from. Their colors also tended to lean toward pinks near their tails, and they had white underbellies. Their slit eyes were very dark green and the speckled details in them gave Judy the wistful impression that she was looking into the night sky. Each was only about a foot tall. All five wore warm, charming smiles with their hands held in front of them.

Nick was slightly charmed at them as well. He gave a slight wave.

Judy marveled at them. "Wow, Nick, they look so exotic..." One of the leopard geckos closed her eyes in delight at understanding the remark. "Oh, oops."

"When are you going to keep that tiny, furry maw shut?" Nick chuckled.

"Please dress down and lay on the tables, yes?" The leopard gecko that had been complimented spoke to them in accented mammalian, the end of the sentence punctuated with a sort of chirpy tone. "We will begin." The newlyweds complied, removing their clothes and getting up onto the low tables. Four of the geckos looked on blankly, but the one that spoke to them actually looked a bit delighted at all the colorful fur on display. Three geckos headed for Nick, and the other two, including the speaker, went for Judy. Judy tried to relax as she awaited the first touches on her back. However, the geckos hands felt rather gentle.

"Ooh, this is nice... what an interesting texture..." Judy cooed as the massage began. Nick groaned in agreement as his soreness started to leave him.

"Gecko pads are very sought for massage, yes?" The gecko smiled. "Leopard geckos less sought, our hands are small, but our pads do not stick."

"I kinda wish I had learned some more reptilian before we flew out," Nick grumbled apologetically. "What's your name, miss?"

"Oh please, do not worry, just relax, yes?" The gecko smiled. "I am Jiji. The tourism is coming back, we are very happy to please."

Judy tried to avoid thinking about whatever happened two years ago while her fur was rubbed and scrunched. She looked over to Nick and one of the geckos was actually on him on all fours, rubbing with both hands and feet skillfully. Nick gave a little whimper of relief.

"You all look so pleasant," Judy noticed. "I don't think I've ever seen your smiles fade."

"Leopard geckos are very known for their smiles," Jiji said, smiling more broadly. "It is our normal face, harder for us to frown, yes?"

"Oh, so none of you are actually happy?" Nick joked.

"Oh no no, I am _very_ happy to see the mammals, fox and bunny, yes?" Jiji chirped. "The fur is very nice to me, exotic, as you say, as we are to you." Judy considered that, feeling as if they were having a strange sort of slightly intimate cultural exchange. The other geckos gossiped to each other in reptilian, pleasantly laughing.

"I think I heard 'mammal' in there," Nick said.

"Oh, they are making fun of me, yes?" Jiji smiled, closing her eyes and tilting her head flippantly left and right. "I do not mind."

"Why are they making fun of you?" Judy asked, her ears laying flat as she relaxed more.

"They call me the, umh, mammal-lover, yes?" Jiji grinned. "One day I wish to travel to the Zootopia. If I could, I would make my own massage parlor there. The textures and colors of fur, so lovely! Perhaps I could only help small mammals if just me? But, I do like the raccoons, the red pandas, and tanukis. Such enchanting patterns, yes?" Judy could feel Jiji's massages become slightly more enthused when speaking passionately about her dream. Judy gave a small hum of delight. The other geckos gossipped a bit more.

"Now I really wish I could understand," Nick grumbled, "so I could tell them to leave you be."

"Oh they do not mean any harm, yes?" Jiji said pleasantly. "Please just relax and let them do their work to you. Do you know any reptilian?"

Nick chuckled, trying to relax again. "All I know how to say is, hello, please excuse my crazy wife and I. We do not speak reptilian." All five of the geckos laughed in delight.

"Okay, seriously, did you learn some sort of joke that EVERY reptile thinks is funny or...?" Judy smirked wryly.

"It is nothing, it is nothing!" Jiji laughed. "It is delightful. He is teasing you, yes?"

"Oh, of course, should have guessed," Judy giggled.

"He says: 'you are crazy'", one of the other geckos blurted. Jiji smiled apologetically while the other four geckos laughed.

"Well, he is right, I am crazy, especially about him," Judy beamed at the pleased, slightly sleepy looking Nick, who returned the gaze.

"Oh, how sweet!" Jiji chirped.

Nick and Judy put their clothes back on after the massage. Nick looked very limp and limber, he gave a delighted stretch.

"I hope you enjoyed, yes?" Jiji smiled broadly as they began to exit.

"That was very lovely, thank you Jiji," Judy smiled. "If you're ever in Zootopia, look Nick and Judy Wilde-Hopps up, okay? We'd love to see you again. We're police officers there!"

"I will be sure to do nothing illegal, yes?" Jiji waved. The three laughed.

* * *

-Southern Pawaii Beachside Resort, Nick and Judy's Suite-

Cuddled together under the sheets of their rather large bed, Nick and Judy enjoyed their closeness, feeling their fur up against each other.

"Wow, that massage," Nick groaned. "I feel like I'm floating in this bed, I feel so light." He adjusted himself, holding Judy a little closer. She hummed happily.

"Jiji was so nice," Judy said, "I'm so impressed that even with tourism only being open for two years, so many Pawaiians have tried to learn some mammalian and make silly tourists like us feel welcome. The outreach is just amazing. ...I just wonder what was so wrong with this place? So many of the citizens are so nice..."

"Again, let's not dwell on that," Nick said, gently stroking her back. "I'm sorry I even brought it up before we left."

"But it does seem to be on everyone's mind," Judy mused. "They just wont tell us what it is."

"Shh," Nick kept petting, giving her ears a stroke, too.

"Well, I hope that that massage relaxed you enough," Judy shook her head from disquieting thoughts, trying to put on a flirty face, "because I'm going to... to..." Judy let out a squeaky, adorable yawn, which caused Nick to involuntarily hum in delight. "Probably... just go to sleep." She snuggled in.

"Oh thank _goodness_ ," Nick joked. "Sleep well, honey bunny. I love you."

"Love you too, honey fox," Judy cuddled in, kissing his neck where her head was closest, shutting her eyes. Nick relaxed against her, feeling her ears rubbing against his face as he layed his head on top of hers, closing his eyes. At their heightened relaxation, sleep quickly took both of them.

* * *

-Southern Pawaii Dockside-

On their last day before their departure, Judy and Nick had wanted to take a boat tour of the outskirts of the island. After making their arrangements, they started heading out to the dock to where they were to meet their tour guide. Judy's pace slightly slowed as they got closer to the boat and saw who was maintaining it.

"O-oh, our tour guide is a crocodile," Judy noted with the slightest twinge of apprehension. The crocodile seemed about seven feet tall, not including a broad tail.

"Don't start," Nick warned. Judy took a breath, looking up at Nick who was looking at her sternly.

"Oh goodness, yes, you're right," Judy wrung her hands, "why am I always like this? There's nothing to worry about, let's just-"

 _THUMP!_

Judy gasped in fear as the crocodile's heavy tail crashed down millimeters from Judy. She scrambled away from the tail and closer to Nick. Neither he, Judy, nor Nick was paying attention. At the gasp, the crocodile turned his head, and looked at the tail, and at the frightened bunny.

"You okay, Judy?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's-" Judy started.

"Oh no, no no..." the crocodile looked terrified. "I almost crushed you, little bunny! ...I almost... almost ruined everything! EVERYTHING! They would have closed our borders... locked me up... or worse...!" Tears started to well in his eyes as he held his hands to his neck. Nick and Judy's pupils shrank at the crocodile's extreme reaction.

"Whoa, whoa, let's just calm down, now," Nick said. "She's fine, I'm fine, everything's fine."

"Yep," Judy said cheerfully, "one unsquished bunny!" The crocodile started to calm down. Judy's mind flashed back to the expression 'crocodile tears'.

"I um," he began, looking at his phone, "Nick and Judy Wilde-Hopps. You are married?" They nodded. "Well, I am to be your guide but... I can understand if you would not have me. Would you like me to find you someone ...smaller? Less clumsy? A turtle, perhaps. I know a nice turtle."

"Oh no, that will be fine," Nick said with his hands up. "Please."

"Yes, everything's okay!" Judy nodded. The crocodile sighed, nodding and leading them into his boat, where they shoved off.

"My name is Zinso," the crocodile started as he began the tour, the water lapping against the boat. "Welcome to my beautiful island nation of Pawaii."

"Zin-so," Judy tried hard to pronounce it correctly. "You speak such amazing mammalian!"

"Judy!" Nick reminded her. "Condescending...!" Judy flinched at this. She just couldn't help herself sometimes.

"No no, I am happy to hear you say that," Zinso said. "Tourism is my passion. I love the beauty of this world and getting to share it with others."

"Are there many crocodiles like you?" Judy wondered.

"Well, many crocodiles and alligators have a passion for the sea," Zinso explained, "but mostly there is fishing and shrimping. We large reptiles need so much food compared to everyone else. We must do our part to sustain ourselves. ...But I did not like just being another fisher. I would have rather toured the world and explored all of its splendors. As it is, I am grateful to be a tour guide." Judy noticed that ever since the tour began, he was speaking in sort of a guarded voice, with his snout barely moving.

"Does this have anything to do with what happened two years ago?" Judy asked. Nick looked shocked that she had done so. The crocodile flinched.

"Please," Zinso held up a hand, "y-you do not want to hear of our troubled history. Especially not from a biased crocodile. This is your honeymoon, please allow me to show you the sights of-"

"Biased?" Nick suddenly looked curious from his reclined position. He sat up. "I think I'm suddenly more curious as to what actually went on here." He and Judy nodded together, looking at him. Zinso gave a shaky sigh.

"All right, I will tell you," he began. "A little more than twenty years ago, what we called the Lizard party came into political power. They were so small, but so _many_. So many loud voices, manipulating things to their whims. When they finally had control, they started to spread a campaign of fear and hate among us very large reptiles. Snappers, they called us." Judy's jaw dropped, and Nick's brow furrowed. "They mandated that when 'snappers' became a certain age, we would have to wear a collar that regulated our bite strength. If we bit down too hard, it would shock us, painfully." Zinso gave another shaky sigh.

"But why?" Judy asked in shock. "Why would they do that!?"

Very, very carefully and slowly, Zinso opened his jaw, showing them how wide it could open. "Look at me. If I wanted to, I could eat two dozen lizards in one gulp."

"But, reptiles are civilized!" Nick protested angrily. "All reptiles are civilized creatures!"

"Didn't anyone _care_ about you large reptiles?" Judy suddenly wanted to avoid the 'snappers' slur.

"Yes, many did, many medium and even small-sized reptiles protested," Zinso said sadly, sniffling a bit, pointing at his eyes. "But, the Lizard party threw hateful propaganda at us. 'Crocodile tears'. The stories and feelings of large reptiles are nothing but ploys to lure people into caring about us, so we could take advantage of their kindness and return to our violent ways."

"Oh no..." Judy put her paws to her cheeks.

"All unfounded hate-mongering," Nick grit his teeth, seeing a few parallels to predator-hatred. "Disgusting."

"Things got worse about seven years ago," Zinso continued, catching his breath. "The Lizard party was actually suffering attacks from large reptiles. Physical, violent attacks. Even though it would shock us, we would snap at them. There was some bloodshed. Some of my fellow crocodiles had succumbed to mental problems from being unable to adjust their behavior to their jaws. They gave in to anger."

"That anger was a foregone conclusion!" Nick protested, balling up a fist. "They had been oppressed and treated like savages!" He gestured widely with his other hand, furious.

"Yes, that is likely true," Zinso nodded, looking away, "but it was what the Lizard party needed to make further demands. "Our collars were adjusted, and now we would be shocked even if our mouths opened past a certain point. It became so hard for us. We had to laugh, talk, and even eat through mostly gritted teeth. That is why you may see many large reptiles today speaking through our teeth. It is a hard habit to break. It was so easy to forget, though. To yawn, or sneeze, and suddenly you were shocked. I... I will not say that it did not affect me. I... I am somewhat of a wreck." Zinso was sniveling again, tears rolling down.

"Hhh..." Judy had shaky breaths. She was crying, too.

"Well, what happened next?" Nick was curious.

"Finally, the Lizard party made a huge mistake," Zinso wiped his tears away. "They started to restrict travel against predator mammals such as yourself. They wanted their rhetoric to be absolute. People would start to ask more questions if large, sharp-toothed predator mammals were able to roam free here in Pawaii, and they of course could not legally collar them. They figured it would be an acceptable loss because predators are a minority among mammals." Zinso suddenly brightened. "But! They were wrong. Your government, Zootopia, took it as an offense, and barred travel to Pawaii, and many other cities and countries followed suit."

"Zootopia did that?" Judy wiped her cheeks.

"The tourism industry nearly collapsed," Zinso nodded. "There were riots, and the Lizard party was ousted from power. It happened so fast, like a dream. We were free again. My young children will grow up without the horror of the reality that hung over us for nearly two decades. They... will be able to laugh with their snouts wide open..." Zinso looked like he would cry again, but he just sighed. There was a prolonged silence as Nick and Judy took this all in. "I must thank you. I... did not expect you to listen to this story. It sounds so unbelievable, yes? Like 'crocodile tears'. ...But... I did not expect you two to look so invested either, or like you cared. Thank you..." He wiped one more tear away.

"Of course I care," Judy nodded. "That's so horrible, what they did to you."

"Well, not all mammals are as nice as we are," Nick gave a frown.

"Well, to know that there are caring animals that are so different," Zinso smiled finally, "it makes me very happy. You two are quite different, too, and yet you are married?" He sighed. "I have hope for this world. Now that I am free, I would soon like to explore it and take in the many cultures there are."

"You should do that," Judy smiled, nodding.

"Oh no," Zinso realized in shock. "I... I have made it through my whole tour loop without even noticing. ...Please. Please allow me to take you on another tour and I will discuss the beauties of this island, instead of its troubles."

"I mean, is that okay?" Nick looked concerned. "Do you have other tourists to get to?"

"Oh no, not today," Zinso shook his head. "There is much daylight left. Please, I will give you an _extended_ tour. I am very grateful for your kindness. No extra charge."

"I'd ...like that," Judy smiled softly. Zinso adjusted the speed of his boat, and began the tour anew.

* * *

-Paw Air, en route to Zootopia-

Nick sighed in his seat, his muzzle in his palm as the airplane took off. Judy noticed his look and heard his sigh even over the roar of the engines. After they were in midair, she spoke up.

"What's wrong, honey fox?" Judy smiled gently. "Sad it's all over?"

"Well, Pawaii was great, yeah," Nick said. "But I'm upset that it seems like wherever you go in this world, there's people that want to take advantage of others just because they are different. Just because they let fear or hatred get to them. If you had told me that Pawaii was in the middle of systemic oppression against large reptiles, then I would _never_ have wanted to go."

Judy's smile stayed soft. "Then I'm glad you didn't know."

"It doesn't bum you out at all?" Nick looked curiously at his wife.

"It was a horrible situation, yes," Judy's smile was patient and unwavering. "But look what we _did_ discover on this vacation. Not only was Pawaii beautiful, but the people we met! Those friendly snakes, that turtle, the leopard gecko, and that lovely, sensitive crocodile. All of those reptiles that were so fun to be around and made so many moments for us. That's what I will take away from this honeymoon."

Nick's jaw dropped. He was amazed. He actually started to tear up. "Judy..."

"You remember what I said at your graduation," Judy went on. "All we can do is try to be better. And a lot of those reptiles, they seemed to be trying."

"Judy," Nick was nearly speechless. He wiped a tear or two from his eyes. "You are incredible. You can see the light in any darkness. Is it- is it any wonder I love you so much? You're so joyful, trusting, and caring..."

"Aw, come here, honey fox," Judy leaned over to kiss him softly. He sighed shakily. "You know that I need you too, don't you Nick?" Nick shrugged, then nodded slowly. "My big ol' bunny ears are always in the clouds. Sometimes I need you to pull me down before I float away."

"I guess you picked a decent husband then, huh honey bunny?" Nick gave a small smile.

"No. You know me," Judy said, her expression heartfelt. "I'd only go for the most impossibly _amazing_ husband."

The two shared a serene smile as the plane tore through the sky and towards their home.


	14. Night Partners

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 9:20 AM-

Nick and Judy Wilde-Hopps looked at each other on their way to Chief Bogo's office. It always felt to Judy like a trip to the principal's office. Nick often found himself wondering if he was going to be yelled at for something his bunny bride had done. As they entered, Chief Bogo was sitting at his desk, and in front of it was a rather unusual member of the ZPD.

"Here they are, Officer Sonaire," Chief Bogo muttered. "Nicholas and Judy Wilde-Hopps."

She was a fruit bat, about halfway in between Nick and Judy's height. She wore dark sunglasses, and her solid expression on her dark gray muzzle betrayed nothing about her personality. Her ear tips were small, black triangles. The top button of her uniform had to be undone, as she had a large collar of striking copper fur that made her look quite fetching, in a way. But, of course, her most striking features were her wings, leathery brown membranes that traveled all the way from her shoulders, to the tips of the outsides of her hands, then running down from there, past her sides, all the way down to her feet. Judy blinked. She must have a lot of trouble getting into her uniform in the morning, Judy thought.

"Officer Viridia Sonaire," the fruit bat introduced in a firm, even voice, "from the Nocturnal District Police Department."

"The Nocturnal District..." Judy couldn't help repeating.

"What do we owe this visit to?" Nick said in a medium, rather jovial tone.

"I don't think you're going to be so happy when you hear what she's about to say," Chief Bogo grunted.

"Officers Wilde-Hopps," Sonaire regarded at them briefly by peeking down her glasses, revealing green eyes. "I've been assigned by my police Chief Director to recruit your help in looking into a case in the Nocturnal District. It's a case involving midnicampum holicithias."

"Night Howlers!" Nick and Judy blurted in disbelief.

"Indeed," Sonaire said tersely.

"But now Night Howlers are flat-out illegal to sell, ever since Bellwether's attacks!" Judy had her arms open.

"Doesn't stop criminals, Wilde-Hopps," Sonaire frowned. "Somehow they're getting into the Nocturnal District and we need to know how, so we can shut down their operation."

"There's Night Howler antidote available to doctors all across Zootopia," Nick noted, "so there can't really be any real lasting 'outbreaks'."

"True, but they are still being used to carry out crimes," Sonaire turned her head towards Nick. "For your experience with Night Howler symptoms, I've been asked to partner up with you in the Nocturnal District."

"Okay, when do we leave?" Judy nodded seriously.

"Not you, just him," Sonaire was still looking at Nick. Nick flinched, but then he started to consider why she might have said that.

"Excuse me?" Judy seemed instantly offended. "Nick and I are partners! We do everything together!"

"Wilde-Hopps..." Bogo warned.

"Have you ever been to the Nocturnal District, Wilde-Hopps?" Sonaire turned her head to look at Judy.

"N-no, why?" Judy's teeth were grit.

"You'd need a flashlight with you at all times, so that's one arm you wouldn't be able to utilize fully, _and_ it would give away your position constantly," Sonaire shook her head slightly. "It's extremely dark, and you'd be bumping into everything. No offense, but you would just slow me down. As it is, I don't like working with anyone."

"No offense taken...!" Judy lied, her foot tapping rapidly. She threw a displeased look at Nick. He looked pretty grim and unhappy about this as well.

"Listen, Wilde-Hopps," Bogo grumbled, "I don't like this either. Splitting up two of my best people is something I don't take lightly. But this is midnicampum holicithias. We cannot allow it to be weaponized. And like it or not, only Nick Wilde-Hopps has the experience with the plant and the innate abilities necessary to function effectively down there."

"We do need your help as well, Judy Wilde-Hopps," Sonaire took off her glasses, cleaning them. "According to the case file, you came into contact with a distributor of the Night Howlers."

"Weaselton," Judy nodded. "I'll try and see if I can find him and shake him down; see if he knows anything."

"Don't shake too hard," Nick quipped flatly.

"Nicholas Wilde-Hopps," Sonaire addressed him, putting her glasses back on and putting her hands behind her back. "Meet me at the Zootopia Central Train Station at oh-eight hundred hours tomorrow."

"Yes ma'am," Nick managed to say seriously.

"Sonaire will do. I'm not your superior, Wilde-Hopps," Sonaire said, walking by him a with the smallest smirk, nodding her head to Judy. "Is she?"

Nick opened his mouth, about to immediately answer in the affirmative, but figured he'd better not.

* * *

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment 8:30 PM-

"You don't like this," Nick noticed Judy worriedly watching him pack a few things into a suitcase.

"Of _course_ I don't," Judy replied. "You're going off for an undisclosed amount of time to work with strangers against a very dangerous substance wielded by unknown criminals. Gee! What's to be _worried_ about? The love of my life _diving_ off into the unknown without me!"

"I see what's bothering you," Nick teased. "It's that bat, isn't it? Worried I'm working with her?"

"Uh, yeah?" Judy agreed, holding out her hand and placing one of her fingers of the other hand on it. "First of all, she seems really stuck up. Secondly, she admitted she doesn't work well with others, and thirdly-!"

"You worry I think she's pretty?" Nick chuckled.

"What? No!" Judy was baffled. "...Do you?"

"Oh yeah, she's really pretty. That fur collar...!" Nick kept at it, sucking in a faux impressed breath.

"Wow, buster, you're pretty brazen," Judy smirked, folding her arms. "I know you'd never stray from me."

"I'm just trying to calm you down, sweetheart," Nick kissed her forehead. "Everything you said is true. It's going to be dangerous, I'm going to be stuck in a hotel away from you, and working with some stuck-up bat I don't know if I can trust. Am I worried? Yes, yes I am. However, I will MuzzleTime you every night, even with no leads."

"That makes me feel a bit better, I guess," Judy said, and then saw Nick start to disassemble his stun gun. "Oh, Nick, maybe you should take the sonic module on mine, just in case." Judy fled off and got her own customized stun gun, unsnapping one of its pieces.

"Pack me some earplugs too; I can't stand the noise that thing makes," Nick cringed at the very sight of it. "Why do you want me to take it?"

"A lot of the mammals down there barely rely on their sight," Judy said, "so your flash module isn't going to do much but blind _you_. But their hearing and smell is good. Bats even use that sonar thingy to see in pitch black. I bet this would disrupt them." Nick nodded, packing this into his things.

"Thanks, bunny babe," Nick winked. "Meanwhile, I guess you look for Duke Weaselton? Last I checked he was _still_ operating his bootleg DVD business in downtown Savanna Central's back streets."

"Yep, I'll find him, somehow," Judy said, punching her fist into her hand. "Then, I'll _pop_ him."

"Uh, hopefully that's not fatal?" Nick held up a finger.

"Not unless he's really asking for it," Judy joked. "Oh hey, I think I should give you one last thing before you leave."

"What's that-?" Nick started, then exhaled sharply as he was interrupted by Judy tackling him to the bed and giving him a smile with her eyes half-lid, wiggling her eyebrows. "Oh."

* * *

-Zootopia Central Train Station, 8:00 AM-

Standing near the entrance to the train platform, he looked out at the crowd of animals leaving and arriving, looking for the bat officer. Abruptly, he noticed a brown-gray shape in his peripheral vision from slightly above. Gliding down toward the platform was Officer Viridia Sonaire, and with a final leathery flap of her wings she touched down lightly next to Nick.

"Officer Wilde-Hopps," Sonaire acknowledged him.

"Good morning, Officer Sonaire," Nick chuckled. "I'm not going to say I don't envy that you can do that."

"It's still a bit of a thrill, even doing it all your life," Sonaire admitted evenly, walking towards the train with Nick.

"How the air here in Savanna Central?" Nick asked, getting onto the train and holding onto a handrail meant for medium-sized animals.

"Bit sticky and warm," Sonaire said, somewhat reluctantly standing near him at the same handrail as she was also technically medium. "The atmosphere in the Nocturnal District is actually really nice. The inter-connected series of caves, leading up to The Big One, the largest, form a natural air-conditioning, sort of. It's always cool and pleasant."

"Been a long time since I was down there," Nick admitted.

"Hasn't changed much," Sonaire started, then turned to him. "Listen, Wilde-Hopps, I don't want either of us to drag each other down. I'll say it again: I don't make for a very good partner. Don't expect me to have your back."

"Boy, what a positive attitude!" Nick said sarcastically with a chiding smile. "As in, you're positive you can't be a better person!"

"Don't patronize me, Wilde-Hopps," Sonaire glared. "I've been doing this as long as you have. I know my strengths and weaknesses."

"Okay, then let's skip the pleasantries and get right to it," Nick said. "What do you know about whats going on with the-" He looked around at the other passengers. "Uh, the 'flowers'."

"The 'flowers'", Sonaire began. "Are being used as a diversionary tactic, we finally discovered. Someone gets hit, goes uh... 'bonkers', then a couple of criminals come in to rob them during the confusion. We think its a star-nosed mole and a slit-faced bat. Problem is, some copycat criminals are muddying the modus operandi."

"Meaning what?" Nick said as they started to head underground. The lights on the inside of the train turned on, but still very low, given the train's destination.

"Some people are pulling off similar robberies, but without the actual... 'product'," Sonaire went on. "Someone pretends to go 'nuts', and then other people rob the establishment in the chaos. We don't really know which of the attacks are genuine or not. We were hoping you could help. We've been gathering up and compiling footage of the attacks. We hope all the genuine ones are the same criminals, or else we might have quite a problem."

"I might be able to help there," Nick nodded.

Sonaire nodded in return. "After you settle in at your hotel, head down to the station here at the Nocturnal District. It's close by, and you can get a full briefing from Chief Director."

"Chief Director what?" Nick asked further.

"That's her name," Sonaire gave a tiny exhale of slight amusement. "Chief Betty Director. One of the only sand cats down here. Impossible to miss, because she wears an eye patch." Sonaire looked at Nick's hip. "You're open-carrying?"

"In an unfamiliar environment with a threat like this looming? Absolutely."

"Good idea," Sonaire decided.

The train got off at The Big One, slowly coming to a halt. Nick looked around outside of the window to refresh his memory on the city. It wasn't as big as Savanna Central, but still rather intimidating, a sprawling, somewhat uneven cave that lead off to various others in a network. The buildings there were, for the most part, cylindrical or cone shaped and rather tall, painted various pastel colors, giving the impression that the city was made from softly-colored stalagmites. Various neon signs and advertisements were available, but every single light in the city was very soft, so the visual noise from the area still looked like a dim glow. Nick hadn't packed his sunglasses.

"Welp, felt like I just got up and already it's night again!" Nick rubbed his hands together, then he picked up his luggage.

"Mm," Sonaire barely acknowledged, heading off with him onto the platform.

"Awh, my bunny would at least have given me an _eye-roll_ , if not a chuckle," Nick smirked.

"See you soon, Wilde-Hopps," Sonaire remarked plainly, flapping her wings and flying away.

"Not fair at all," Nick smirked, feeling another pang of jealousy.

* * *

-Nocturnal District Police Office 2:00 PM-

Nick stepped out of Chief Director's office after receiving his briefing. He had to duck to do so. The cramped, dimly lit police office of the Nocturnal District was a far cry from the one he was used to. The faint, almost yellowed lightning, earthy textures and walls, and small, close-together cubicles made the place seem quite moody. Nick was huge compared to most underground dwellers; even Sonaire was rather big for one of the underground denizens.

"Chief Director," Nick muttered to himself. "That's just needlessly confusing." Nick wandered over to where he had seen Sonaire's cubicle, but slowed his pace when he saw a female, green eyed vole standing on Sonaire's desk, yelling at her.

"So you _really_ think you're gonna crack this case working with someone, huh?" She accused angrily. "Someone from the surface, even? You don't know ANYTHING about working with ANYONE! Nothing! Zilch!"

"Officer Possible," Solaire tried to remain neutral, "did you get that footage I need for the fox to look at from the Technical Officer?"

"Get it yourself!" The vole flared angrily, storming off the desk. She gave an irritated look to the much larger fox as she went by.

"Friendly little vole!" Nick smiled, heading over.

"She's Officer Kimberly Possible, the biggest hotshot on this team," Solaire said. "She has it out for me."

"Well that much was easy to discern," Nick said.

Sonaire looked like she was going to get up, then spun her chair to face Nick. "I don't suppose _you_ would mind getting that footage from the Technical Officer? His name is Rufus Stoppable."

"What's with all of these names?" Nick chuckled to himself. "I feel like someone's pulling a prank on me."

Sonaire rolled her eyes and returned her chair to its original position. Nick headed over and looked for the Technical Officer. He was a grumpy looking mole rat, chattering his big front teeth together occasionally as he worked.

"Hey there, Officer Stoppable," Nick called to him. "I'm Officer Wilde-Hopps."

"Yeah?" Stoppable didn't turn to look. "What do you want?"

"The footage for the Night Howler case?" Nick asked with a forced pleasant tone. Stoppable turned to look at him.

"Jeez, you're huge," the mole rat said. "You're really gonna work this case with that _bat_?"

"It's not like I have much of a choice," Nick was trying _very_ hard to stay patient.

"Well, hope you don't end up maimed or dead or something," Stoppable said brusquely, pulling a thumb drive out of his computer. "Here."

"Thank you...!" Nick sang dryly, rolling his eyes and waggling the thumb drive as he headed over to Sonaire and gave it to her. "Boy, _love_ the atmosphere in this place. Everyone has such faith in you!"

"Rhh," Sonaire twisted her mouth and scrunched her muzzle a little, then sighed, placing the thumb drive in. "They... have good reason to be upset with me. I don't want to discuss it right now."

"How about later, off the clock maybe?" Nick folded his arms.

"If I told you yes, and you knew it was probably untrue, would you let me be?" Sonaire shot him a barely disguised glance of frustration.

"Let's get to work, then," Nick agreed. Sonaire pulled up the footage. There were several robberies, scenes of security footage captured from many different angles. Nick peered at them all. "Okay, and you want me to tell you which of these are genuine."

"Can you?" Sonaire wondered. "All of this footage is from immediately after they began expressing symptoms."

"Okay," Nick pointed quickly, "that one is fake. He just dropped right to all fours immediately. It takes a little longer than that. Oh, that one is fake too. She's just wandering around with her claws out on two feet. You can't stay on two feet. Ah, that one... hm, he's pretty good, if he's acting. Can you zoom in on his eyes?"

Sonaire nodded, doing so. "That's a mole, their eyes are so beady." Nick leaned in close.

"Nope, fake," Nick nodded. "Victim's eyes glow at certain angles. His head turned, no glow."

"This is very helpful," Sonaire said, removing some of the videos. "How about the rest?"

"All of these look genuine, looks like four so far?" Nick rubbed his chin.

"Okay, great, they're all the ones with the star-nosed mole and the slit-faced bat on the footage. We've been able to identify them as Cosmo Molovich and Brian Batling," Sonaire looked at their records. "Both have been arrested for petty robberies before. Molovich was involved with bigger robberies. Batling had drug possession charges."

"Looks like they've combined their forces and found a new, dangerous toy," Nick grumbled. "But where are they getting it from?"

"I've been trying to find that out myself," Sonaire admitted. "Maybe your bunny can find out."

* * *

-Downtown Savanna Central, Backstreets, 3:00 PM-

Said bunny was trying her hardest, looking down the streets up and down for Duke Weaselton. Finally, Judy caught sight of his makeshift bootleg stand. She grinned, staying low in her police cruiser so he wouldn't see her. Duke flinched when the police cruiser drove by, but he passed it off. Judy parked a block away and called Clawhauser to position a car at every possible way out, in case Duke ran.

"Aw, Weaselton, my very first arrest... brings back so many memories..." Judy's eyes narrowed and a very wide grin played out on her face as she rubbed her paws together. "This should be _fun_!" Once the cars were in position, she leaped out of her cruiser and headed over to Duke, sneaking up on his side.

"Heya, 'Wezzleton'," Judy suddenly greeted when she was close enough.

"GUAH!" Duke flailed for a minute before catching his composure, slinking to his left and seeing Judy. "Oh NO! It's Flopsy the Copsy...!" His whiny voice was full of dread.

"That's right!" Judy grinned devilishly, looking down at his table. "You're into bootleg video games now, Dukey? Super Meowrio Sunshine? Oh, Petris, that's a classic. Paw of Duty... they come out with one of those every year!" She picked one up. "Oh is this the latest installment of Super Bash Bunnies? I used to play the first one all the time with my siblings! How much?"

"Leave me alone, Cottontail!" Duke whined nervously in his slightly high-pitched voice. "Don't you have bigger fish to fry?"

"Not at the moment!" Judy chirped smugly, then her face hardened. "And don't think about running, either. One, you know I can catch you, and two, if you do run, I have a bit of a surprise waiting for you." She tersely chirped into her radio. "Boys...?" One brief bleat of a police siren came from all directions.

"J-jeez, Hopps, you aren't fooling around, are you?" Duke cringed. "What do you want...!? You wanna take me in? I'll go quietly this time, I swear!"

"Nothing has to happen to you if you tell me what I want to know," Judy cooed dangerously. "Also, it's Wilde-Hopps, now." She pointed to her name tag.

"Really?" Duke shook his head at the implications of that, then decided he cared more about being arrested, "I ain't into nothing but bootleg, now, Wilde-Hopps, I swear! C'mon, I got a family to feed, and your rap sheet on me is _killing_ me!"

"So, you don't know anything about the Night Howlers," Judy said lowly, as if daring him to say no.

"The Night Howlers!?" Duke seemed to flinch.

"...I'll take that as a yes," Judy said, her voice quiet. "Talk."

"A-are you really gonna make me do this, Wilde-Hopps?" Duke pleaded. "C'mon, please... don't make me rat."

"Where's your backbone, Weaselton?" Judy grinned. "I'm not even holding your toes to the fire yet. But we could do that, we haven't tried _that_ yet..."

"It's, it's not that," Duke looked down. "I know who's gettin' Night Howlers into here."

"WHO."

"My... _sister_..."

* * *

-Everlong Nights Resort and Spa 8:29 PM-

Nick was watching some TV in his slightly cramped hotel room, wearing a loose t-shirt and cottony shorts. He looked at the time and his eyes opened slightly wider. It was just about time for Judy to Muzzletime him. The instant the display on the clock changed to 8:30, his phone rang.

"Always can count on that bunny," Nick grinned happily. He pressed the button and his eyes nearly bugged. It was Judy, of course, but she was wearing quite a skimpy black night outfit. "Whoa! Judy... uh, what are you wearing...?"

"Oh, this? It's nothing," Judy cooed at him.

"Just about!" Nick gawked. "You are... wow, _incredibly_ attractive."

"Really?" Judy cocked her head, her ears lolling, and put a finger up to her mouth and looked at her fox with a small, coy smile. She had Nick's buttons on speed dial.

"I uh, wow," Nick sputtered. "You must really want me to suffer from being away from my super-hot wife."

"Just showing you what you can look forward to when you get back, handsome," Judy said lowly. "Anyway, there's a reason I went out and spent money on this little number today. I'm in a pretty good mood."

"Oh yeah?" Nick was glad to hear this, at least.

"Got you some juicy details," Judy said brightly.

"Oh, I know, you have plenty of those," Nick smirked.

Judy laughed in delight. "Anyway, I know who is supplying the Night Howlers." Her face finally became serious. "It's Duke Weaselton's sister, Duchess. Seems like she'll still do anything for a quick buck. Including smuggling midnicampum holicithias down to the Nocturnal District."

"So, we're looking for another weasel," Nick nodded. "Do you have any leads on where she might show up?"

"Yes," Judy nodded. "She does her deals at a bar down there called World One-Dash-Two. She's supposed to be doing business tomorrow night at nine."

"AM or PM, honey bunny? It's hard to tell down here," Nick laughed.

"PM," Judy nodded, then her ears started to droop. She ran her hands through her ears, looking a bit pensive. "Nick I... feel kinda bad for squeezing this out of Duke. I made him sell out his own sister."

"He did the right thing, and so did you," Nick said seriously. "People's lives are in danger. No one's gonna get hurt anywhere but their wallet from buying Duke's crud."

"I guess you're right," Judy nodded.

"Now, you stay exactly that amazing, my busy little bunny," Nick grinned.

"G'night, foxy boy," Judy leaned forward to smooch at the screen, and Nick returned the gesture.

* * *

-World One-Dash-Two Bar and Lounge 8:30 PM-

The next night, Nick and Sonaire entered the bar, and Nick took in the sights. It was a very dark bar with a dank blue color scheme. Nick was thankful for his night vision. The tables and chairs had somewhat colorful red, green, and yellow mushroom designs, all with white polka-dots. The music was electronic and crude sounding. There were a lot of moles and bats everywhere, enjoying colorful drinks. Nick got himself a blueberry shake, whereas Sonaire just had sparkling water garnished with a bunch of apple slices. They took a seat together near the center of the establishment. Both were in civilian clothes. Nick had a loud shirt and mismatched tie on, of course, where Solaire wore a soft purple shirt that exposed a small bit of her midriff and leather pants. If pressed, Nick wouldn't deny she was a bit attractive.

"Yeah, this way we have a good view of the whole place," Nick said, smirking as he had a sip of his drink. "That's how _teamwork_ works. Speaking of, it's a shame my bunny time had to be cancelled tonight."

Sonaire rolled her eyes. "So how's being married to your partner working out for you?"

"Oh it's like anything, it has its ups and downs," Nick said, "but, with that bunny? Mm-mm." He shook his head, his eyes squinted shut. "Mostly ups."

"Sounds pleasant, I guess," Sonaire shrugged. "I just don't like anyone tying me down."

"Tying me down, huh," Nick mused. "Might have to try that sometime."

"Wow, is that where you went?" Sonaire questioned flatly.

"I am but a simple fox at my heart," Nick explained, letting a thought of Judy from last night linger back in with a hazy smile. "So, we're looking for two moles, right? Well there are a lot of 'two moles' in this place."

"We'll just have to wait till the weasel shows up," Sonaire grumbled, having an apple slice.

"So, until then, let's try to pretend we can stand each other," Nick smiled pleasantly.

"If I must," Sonaire smirked wryly.

"Hey, you ever seen a turtle before?" Nick's mouth opened a bit. "Because there's a couple of them sitting over there." Nick pointed subtly.

"Really?" Sonaire turned to look and saw two small turtles speaking in reptilian in the corner. One of them had his shell painted red. "Huh. Weird."

"Wife and I met a cool turtle in Pawaii on our honeymoon," Nick sipped more of his drink.

"Reptiles, huh?" Sonaire looked only somewhat interested.

Nick noticed this, so decided to throw a harder blow. "So, whatcha want to talk about now? Oh, how about why everyone at the precinct seems to hate you?" Nick sipped his drink again. "If you weren't a good cop I know you wouldn't have been put on such an important assignment."

"Fine, fine," Sonaire relented, rolling her eyes. "I'll talk about my tragic past. It all started when my uncle, Drew Lipsky, became a notorious crime lord. He was actually defeated by a rising star rookie cop. Her name is Kimberly Possible, that vole. She enlisted the help of Rufus Stoppable's older brother, Ronald, who was still a civilian at the time, to take him down. Ron knew a lot of martial arts, very dangerous for a mole rat."

"Oh, I heard a past tense in there," Nick winced.

"Let me finish," Sonaire sighed. "They actually brought in my uncle with no problems. Due to his success and Rufus' encouragement, Ronald joined the police department as well. He figured he would get paired up with Kimberly. But... he got me, instead."

"Why is that?" Nick wondered.

"Well, Kimberly is basically one of the best cops we have," Sonaire admitted, "but she's a bit unhinged, sort of a wild cop, likes to bend the rules. Chief Director thought I was more grounded, stable, dependable. But really, I only depend on myself. On one case, due to a mistake I made, Ronald ended up seriously hurt. The doctors still don't know if he will recover full use of his legs."

"Oh..." Nick was only able to get that out.

"Yup," Sonaire sipped some drink. "So, thanks to me, Ronald lost his dream, Rufus hates me intensely for getting his brother crippled, and Kimberly might even hate me more. I knew she and Ron were 'right' together."

"You don't get to choose who the partners are, though," Nick reminded her.

"Maybe I should have protested," Sonaire shrugged. "Maybe I should have actually been there for Ronald at that crucial moment. Also, I have that whole 'evil uncle' stigma hanging over my head. As it is now all I can do is try to be a good cop and avoid having partners so I won't screw anyone else's life over."

"Well, here's to not screwing _my_ life over," Nick tried to lighten the mood by holding up his glass. Sonaire just scoffed and looked away. "Sorry. I forget how crass my jokes sound sometimes. Judy just lets me bounce them right off of her. I even joked that I'd be gawking at you while I was on assignment."

"Wow that _is_ ridiculous," Sonaire looked impressed, but not in a good way. "Amazing you don't have an imprint in your fur from a bunny's paw."

"She's just that good to me," Nick said, shaking his head.

"Anyway, time is drawing short, let's get to work," Sonaire said, looking at her phone.

Duchess Weaselton finally had entered the establishment. She looked quite similar to her brother, but thankfully for her, a less ragged looking face, somewhat comely even. Sonaire was no longer sitting at the table. Nick noticed Duchess and waited for her to move to a table. Two moles looked expectantly at her, and she produced a purse and opened it briefly. When Nick caught the scent of the flower that he'd not mistake for a million other scents, he leaped at them and drew his stun gun.

"You're gonna want to freeze," Nick smirked. Duchess didn't. She shrieked and ran for the entrance, leaving her purse behind. Nick looked towards the entrance.

 _FLOOMP!_

"Mind if I drop in, sugar?" Sonaire quipped, dropping down from where she was hanging on the ceiling, right in front of the door. Duchess gasped again as Sonaire pounced, cuffing her. "You're under arrest for possession with intent to sell."

Nick grinned at the quip, then turned to the moles. They raised their hands in surrender. "Game over, guys."

* * *

-Abandoned Geothermal Plant #9, 2:00 AM-

Duchess was unhelpful, but the two mole toadies told them exactly where to find Cosmo Molovich and Brian Batling, and when they usually made their batches of concentrated Night Howler. Nick and Sonaire were sent on point to investigate the abandoned geothermal plant located on the edge of the cave system, while a backup unit hung back out of line of sight of the plant.

Nick yawned a bit. "I wish criminals would do their crime at a more reasonable time or location."

"I hope you're not going to complain the whole time," Sonaire sighed. Both readied their weapons and entered the inner workings of the plant. There was barely any light. They crept forwards and looked around, and Nick saw a familiar and disconcerting sight; planters with lamps for growing Night Howlers.

"Look's like we're in the right place," Nick whispered.

"Keep your voice down!" Sonaire hissed even more quietly.

"This is about as low as it goes?" Nick was confused.

"Not low enough! Bat's hearing is so good, and slit-face bats ears so large, that if they're nearly anywhere in this establishment they could-"

Sonaire's voice was cut off by all of the dim lights being turned off. They were in pitch black darkness. Sonaire's ears twitched as she heard a high frequency clicking sound briefly.

"Batling heard us, but he's quiet now," Sonaire grit her teeth.

"I... find myself in the unusual situation of not being able to see," Nick noted.

"No one can see in pitch black, idiot, but bats can do something like that," Sonaire sighed.

"Echolocation, right?" Nick nodded, trying to stand still. "Are you doing that right now?"

"Only small bats can use true echolocation," Sonaire grumbled in annoyance. "Don't they teach you anything in school?"

"Well, can you use _fake_ echolocation, then?" Nick was getting a bit desperate, sniffing the air. Inconclusive smells. All he could smell was Sonaire, at the moment, and the smell of the earth.

"I can, only because I've been practicing it all my life," Sonaire snapped. "But it's not going to work if you don't shut your yap." Nick stopped talking.

 _Tk-tk-tk-tk-tk-tk-tk._

Sonaire clicked her tongue while moving forward and to the side.

 _Tk-tk-tk-tk-tk-tk-tk._

Nick could smell her getting farther and farther away.

"I can hear you sniffing," Sonaire said. "Smell anything?"

"Only you, so far," Nick said. He didn't want to add that he also knew that she smelled frightened.

 _Tk-tk-tk-tk-tk-tk-tk._

"Looking for a light switch," Sonaire said. "Think I'm close."

"Are you gonna maybe guide me to that, or..." Nick was waving his arms blindly.

"I'm not going to hold your hand, you baby!" Sonaire snapped.

 _Tk-tk-tk-tk-tk-tk-tk._

Suddenly, there were sounds of a struggle. Nick gasped and drew his customized stun gun. He tried to head into the direction of the struggle.

 _CLICK!_

The lights turned on. Far, far down the room, Batling was holding Sonaire's arms down from the front. Molovich was on Sonaire's back, holding a mask that was connected to a hose, which was connected to a canister of gas. Nick didn't have to guess what sort of gas was in there.

"Sonaire!" Nick cried out, knowing he was too far to shoot. He rushed forward. "Don't breathe in, if you can!"

"Breathe in deep, little bat!" Molovich cackled in a raspy voice. Sonaire struggled and tried to resist breathing.

"I thought I was the little bat!" Batling laughed, then flapped his own wings to give him an extra push while headbutting Sonaire in the stomach. Sonaire coughed and then drew in a deep breath.

"Oh God, NO!" Nick shouted. "Sonaire, drop your head!"

Coughing, Sonaire was involuntarily doing that anyway. Nick set his gun's intensity dial to "small" and fired the instant he was in range.

 _CLACK!_

Molovich fell off of Sonaire, shocked by the charge which hit him squarely on the chest. Sonaire dropped to her knees, coughing and gasping, but starting to growl and hiss.

"Oh no, no no no..." Nick knew he had only seconds. Sonaire's eyes were already starting to glow. He unclasped a pouch on his belt, where he was keeping two emergency syringes full of Night Howler antidote.

Unleashing an anguished, feral shriek, Sonaire started wildly swiping her claws left and right. She caught Batling with one such swipe and he flew into a vertical steel beam, dazed and bleeding. Snarling and starting to slaver, she headed for Molovich, who was trying to recover from his shock. Nick approached Sonaire with syringe in hand as quickly as he could, but Sonaire was already swiping at him wildly with her claws.

"God, she's going to kill him!" Nick wailed. He shrilly whistled. Sonaire turned and glared briefly at Nick before leaping at him and flapping forwards, screaming through the air at him with a primal wail. "Ah jeez-"

Nick hit the floor hard. He yelled out in pain as he felt her claws slash at his chest and her teeth sink into his shoulder. The shoulder bite made him drop the syringe, it rolling uselessly away from him. Nick rolled back with her still on him and kicked hard with both of his feet, sending her sailing through the air and tumbling backwards. Nick struggled to his feet, knowing he had only moments before Sonaire got back up, only one more shot of antidote, and a desperate need to tip the scales in his advantage.

"Okay, I'm doing this blind!" Nick headed for the light switch and turned it off. He immediately started sniffing, able to keep his nose on the powerful and dangerous smell of Sonaire. Sonaire shrieked and spat sounds that seemed not of the world, but without her higher senses, she was not able to use echolocation to find Nick. Nick also managed to hear a high pitched clicking. Batling had recovered and was trying to escape. Not wanting this, Nick grit his teeth and blindly fumbled for where he kept his earplugs he had packed. He jammed them in his ears.

"And... deaf, apparently!" Nick felt for the sonic function on his gun and set it off, laying it on the ground. All three of the non-fox inhabitants of the plant started screaming in pain as a deafening high-pitched sound burst from the gun. Nick had only thirty seconds before it would wear off. He could smell Sonaire trying to run away from the loud sound. Making a mental map between himself and the gun, he tried running directly from the smell and pouncing.

He felt fur, and heard a shriek he could hear even over the sonic weapon and through his earplugs. His last chance, he shoved the last syringe blindly into her. He was nearly overjoyed as the shriek somehow became even louder. He pushed all of the antidote in and then got up, immediately going for the lights, fumbling blindly for them, but remembering where approximately they were. The lights clicked on.

Nick ran for Batling, who was cowering, and managed to cuff him just before the sonic weapon gave out. Nick turned to look at Molovich, who was bleeding, but breathing, and clearly not going anywhere. Nick ran back over to Sonaire, taking out his earplugs and kneeling beside her.

She was vibrating and shrieking in an alarming fashion. Nick really hoped he hit where it counted. He turned her over, trying to hold her down. Even though Nick was bigger than Sonaire, it was almost the hardest thing he had ever done to prevent her thrashing, but slowly, slowly, the thrashing waned and the eerie glow from her eyes started to diminish. She started babbling in confusion. Nick recalled a method he had heard of to accelerate recovery from frenzied victims.

"Viridia, come on, Viridia, come back to us..." Nick said sternly but kindly. "You are Viridia Sonaire, you are an officer of the ZPD. Nocturnal District." Sonaire's thrashing slowed even more, and she let out a squeak of confusion. "You can do it, Viridia, hang in there. You are Viridia Sonaire. You hate my guts."

Shaking her head, Sonaire drew in a large, hoarse breath. "Hnnh... well, I never exactly said _that_..."

"Thank GOD," Nick sighed. She tried to struggle up to her feet. "Woah there, don't move yet, it's not safe. Just lay back. You need a few minutes."

"Y-you're the boss when it comes to Night Howler stuff..." Sonaire said weakly. "You're bleeding." She looked over at the criminals. "THEY'RE bleeding. All of you are bleeding!" She began to panic.

"Listen to my annoying fox voice, stay calm. Breathe _slowly_ ," Nick admonished. Sonaire nodded, a hoarse chuckle coming out at the humor coming from his serious tone, her hyperventilation starting to lower. Nick quickly grabbed for his radio. "All right team, need a bus. Suspects down, officer injured."

"Yeah, you," Sonaire laughed weakly, "I don't have a scratch on me."

"You need to relax," Nick saw she was gagging a little. "Only sit up if you need to throw up." Sonaire laid back, groaning, trying to relax. The backup and medics began to arrive. "You're okay, Viridia, you're okay." Sonaire managed a sigh of relief. Nick looked over to Molovich, who was whining in pain. "Man, you don't look so good, and I don't mean that freakish fingered nose of yours. Looks like you'll survive though, not that I think you deserve it, you IMBECILE!"

* * *

-Nocturnal District Police Office 12:00 PM-

Two days later, the paperwork was done, Nick was bandaged up, and Viridia Sonaire had already made a full recovery and was at work. She, Nick, and even Judy met up at the police office to say their goodbyes. Judy had to hold a small flashlight near the floor to see.

"You know you're going to have to lead her back to the train station like a blind bat, if you'll excuse the expression," Sonaire chuckled. "I know she can barely see me as it is."

"He'll carry me," Judy assured her.

"But his shoulder is-" Sonaire protested.

"He'll _carry_ me," Judy continued assuring her.

"I'll carry her," Nick confirmed, grinning.

"Wow. Wha-kshh," Sonaire muttered, making a whipping sound and motion with her hand. "Anyway, you'll be happy to know, Officer Judy Wilde-Hopps, that I learned _absolutely_ nothing from this experience, apparently. Had I listened to Nick and let him follow me, there's no way those goons could have gotten the drop on _both_ of us, and even if so, Nick had the tools to fix both of us right up."

"No one improves in a day," Judy shook her head. "I sure didn't. Just keep holding your mistakes in your mind, and don't let them hurt you, but let them remind you."

"I guess you married a philosopher?" Sonaire shrugged.

"She is a wise bunny," Nick nodded, his eyes closed.

"I had wondered," Judy said, "you got hit with Night Howler gas... did you... experience any of it?"

"It was just a blur of conflicting information, like a nightmare spiraling out of control," Sonaire recalled. "I think I'll be okay, though, mentally. I realize I wasn't under control and my actions weren't my own."

"I think she might have wanted to do this to me, though," Nick grinned, pointing at his shoulder. "Feisty bat."

"Keep it up and _I'll_ do that to you," Judy smirked.

"Can I have that in writing?" Nick begged playfully.

"Wow, you two," Sonaire remarked in disbelief. "Get a room."

"Soon enough," Judy grinned.

"I hope I didn't do any lasting damage to you, Nick," Sonaire said apologetically.

"Oh no, I'm good," Nick nodded. "So, has your stance on partners changed at all, Viridia?"

"I've got a ways to go, but maybe one day I can be both a good cop AND a good partner," Sonaire folded her arms. "I don't know if I can ask the Possibles or the Stoppables to forgive me, but I'll just keep doing my best and see if they or someone else eventually comes around and deigns to be my partner."

"That's all we can ask of ourselves, is to be our best," Nick nodded. "Hope to see you again, someday, Viridia."

"Likewise, Nick. You too, Judy," Viridia waved.

"Goodbye!" Judy waved pleasantly, and Nick groaned in a bit of pain as he scooped his wife up.

"You can lead me by the hand if it hurts too bad, honey fox," Judy was a bit concerned.

"Nope, I like this better," Nick grinned, having wanted to feel his bunny's fur for some time now.

"So uh... the 'Possibles and the Stoppables'?" Judy seemed baffled.

"Right? Who names these guys?"


	15. Small Partners

-Nick and Judy's Aarvark Rise Apartment, 5:00 PM, January-

Nick Wilde-Hopps flinched as he heard the door to the apartment slam, feeling the fur on his fox tail bristle a bit in surprise. Looking towards the sound, he saw his wife, Judy, with a bunch of papers grasped in one paw rather carelessly. She sat down hard on their couch, with an empty look on her gray bunny face. Sitting there for a moment, her mouth creased a bit and with a sudden gesture, she flung the papers to the floor, where they scattered with a harsh flap. Her eyes appeared unfocused, not looking at anything, and again her expression drained of all feeling. She sat slightly hunched over on the edge of the couch.

All of this told Nick the unfortunate news of what had occurred. Judy had several tests done to confirm what Nick had already feared to be true. They had long wondered if they had the biological compatibility to produce offspring. It hadn't seemed so, despite their best efforts. Nick now knew the answer for certain. What was he going to say to Judy? He slowly crept closer to the couch.

This just isn't the way nature works? Yeah, that would be a great thing to say, he thought sarcastically. They had been defying what "nature" might have wanted from the moment they fell in love.

Maybe we could adopt? Judy would probably like that, Nick considered. However, he had to admit there was something a bit worrisome to him about it, selecting a child as if it was an item at a store.

Now's not the right time to have a child? Nick wondered if there might ever be. They would have to make some careful arrangements to accommodate one.

"Judy," Nick's mouth finally moved. "I'm... I'm here for you if you need me, sweetheart. Whenever, wherever, however."

"I do," Judy said, sighing shakily. "Need you." Nick immediately headed over to the couch to sit next to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. Judy collapsed against him. Nick feared she may break down, but her face twisted in a kind of anger. She seemed a mixture of sad, frustrated, and disappointed, all rolled up.

"Just take your time," Nick encouraged, petting her ears softly.

"It's really not fair," Judy found herself saying. "One of the things I'd most like to give to this world to make it better. ...The best parts of you, and the best parts of me." Her voice was starting to crack at that. "But it doesn't _want_ it..." Her teeth grit in sad sort of sneer. She was trying not to cry, her breaths shuddering.

"I'm not going to say it's okay, because I know it's not," Nick said, rubbing her upper arms. He could feel his wife's despair start to move him. He took a deep breath to remain centered.

"I'll never have a child, I'll never be a _mother_..." Judy finally started to break down.

"Whoa, hold on there," Nick said, gently wiping away her tears as they fell. "No one said anything about that. There's still other options to consider, if you think we're ready..."

"Hnhh... I don't know, Nick, I really don't..." Judy said, sniffling. "Can't you just let me be angry at the world for a little...?"

"You've been pretty good to it so far," Nick said, moving his hands up and down her arms. "Maybe we should keep the world on our side, Judy. We need that big ol' planet Earth in our corner for the big fight."

"Hnhn..." Judy gave a shaky smile. "What does that even mean?"

"I have no idea, I just wanted to see that mouth make that face," Nick admitted.

Judy sighed, smiling gently. She leaned in for a soft nuzzle. "You goofball."

"I will be anything and everything for my bunny's happiness," Nick proclaimed softly.

Judy was quiet for a full minute. "Even... a father...?"

Nick was silent for a moment. "If it is at all possible for us to have a child, to raise one in our current situation," Nick said hesitantly, "I would at least consider it. It's such a big responsibility..."

"I know, I know..." Judy said, allowing her fox's arms to envelop her. "I'm sorry for going full 'bunny' there..."

"No, I get you, sweetie," Nick said. "I can't imagine what it was like to hear that news and carry it with you all day."

"Not great, I can tell you that much," Judy smiled faintly. She snuggled in close. "Hope you don't plan on moving for the next few hours."

"The thought had never occurred to me."

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 5:00 PM, April-

On their way out of the ZPD that day, Benjamin Clawhauser stopped them with a somewhat pensive look.

"Ah, hey you two!" Benjamin seemed unsure.

"What's up, Benjie?" Nick noticed that Benjamin lacked his usual over-enthusiasm.

"I have a bit of a strange... request I guess you could say?" Benjamin shrugged. "I received a call for you two today. It was from a Mrs. Curlyque? You two were out on your rounds. I don't suppose you know her?"

"I don't... _think_ so?" Judy was trying hard to remember.

"Anyway, she said she wouldn't think you remembered her, but would like you to, uh... erm... v-visit her at the hospital," Benjamin poked his fingers together, looking away. "Mercy Hospital, room 525. At uh, your convenience and will to do so."

"I, uh," Nick didn't know what to say. Neither did Judy.

* * *

-Zootopia Mercy General Hospital, Floor 5, 6:10 PM, April-

"What is it, Judy, morbid curiosity?" Nick said as the elevator stopped on floor five and they headed out. "Does the unknown thrill you that much?"

"We were asked to do something, Nick," Judy started heading down the hall. "That's what we police officers do. Help people."

Nick's breaths were quickening to the point of panting. He put his hand on Judy's shoulder. "Wait, Judy, let's talk about this a second. I know we're already here and all but, do you really want to go see what's waiting for us behind that door?"

" _What_ are you so afraid of?!" Judy looked shocked at him as she turned to meet his gaze.

"Oh I don't know," Nick shrugged, "maybe being called to the hospital by a mysterious woman we don't know? Whatever is beyond that door, it cannot be good."

"Hospitals are a place of healing, Nick," Judy shook her head. "You're always looking at the bad side of things."

"I just have a really powerful, intense sense of dread about this," Nick grit his teeth, tugging at his collar. "Do you know of anyone we've rescued from being injured lately that would want to talk to us to commend us or something?"

"I can't remember anything specifically..." Judy mused, "look, Nicholas. I am not going to _make_ you go through that door. I can do it myself."

"N-no, I always want to be by your side, honey bunny," Nick pleaded, clasping his arms, "but whatever is behind that door might just break you, me, or both of us into pieces.

"Maybe it will," Judy frowned. "But I'm not going to let myself pretend tragedy doesn't exist by looking the other way." Judy put her hand on the door, sighing. "Are you with me or not?"

Nick took a deep breath and followed her through the door.

* * *

-Zootopia Mercy General Hospital, Room 525, 6:15 PM, April-

Behind the door was a gray squirrel woman laying in a bed that was a bit too large for her. At only ten or so inches tall, she seemed lost among the sea of white covers she was laying on. Nick and Judy approached.

"Mrs. Curlyque, ma'am?" Judy approached. "Nick and Judy Wilde-Hopps, of the ZPD." They had at least changed into civilian clothes for this.

"Oh, you did come," Mrs. Curlyque said warmly. "I... um, don't suppose you remember me?"

"I'm... ...terribly sorry," Judy was wracking her brain for the slightest details, "but I... don't. Nick?" Nick softly shook his head.

"It was quite a bit ago," the squirrel smiled faintly, "and only for a second. I told you you two made a cute couple on the train to Bunnyburrow. I didn't introduce myself then, but my name is Emily Curlyque."

Judy gasped. "Oh right! Oh right, _that_ was it..." Judy clapped her hands once. "That's where Nick and I made that big scene." Nick rubbed behind his head uncomfortably.

"I must admit I listened to that whole conversation," Emily laughed gently. "Your little scheme for getting your parents in on your relationship. How charming. And then later, in the papers, I saw news of your wedding! How lovely that was. You two seem like just... just such a stand-up couple."

"Thank you, ma'am," Judy bowed her head slightly, her hands held in front of her. Emily turned her head away from them briefly, sighing. There was an uncomfortable silence before she turned her head back.

"I... shouldn't have called you here," Emily said. "I debated so long and so hard whether to do so or not." Her eyes began to look damp. "But... I don't know if I can go through with this. I don't want to put you two through what I want to say."

Nick's feeling of dread started to squeeze his stomach. Even Judy was getting a bit upset. "Ma'am...?" She bit her lip nervously.

"No, no, you don't even know me," Emily's head turned away, her teeth grit. "Please... leave me be."

"No, ma'am," Nick surprised himself with his voice. "As police officers of the ZPD, we are here to help you."

Emily began crying. "All right then, okay..." a few tense moments later, and she composed herself. "I... do not have much time left in this world."

Judy gasped shakily. Nick felt an invisible hand attempting to crush his throat. The squirrel woman did not look old in the slightest.

"And," Emily continued, her shuddering voice only allowing a few words at a time. "The only thing... that scares me more than leaving it... is doing so knowing... that I will be leaving someone behind. Just... one person. All I have in this world. M-my son."

"Oh, no..." Judy began to mist up. Nick felt emotions tearing at his very soul.

"I just thought," the squirrel continued, "that... with no family or friends capable of taking him, he would be so scared. His future looks so uncertain to me, even though mine has been sealed. It's something I fear more than death itself, to be honest." Judy began to openly cry. Nick's eyes squeezed a tear out, his muzzle scrunching a bit.

"Forgive my brazen foolishness," Emily said, "and my selfishly burdening you with this knowledge. I don't even know you. All I know is _of_ you. You look like a lovely couple..." the squirrel sighed deeply. "I cannot ask anything of you. I only say... that if, by any chance, you would like..." Emily seemed unable to continue.

"You're asking us to adopt your son...?" Judy said, her voice trembling. Nick couldn't tell if the tone was horrified or hopeful.

"No, I cannot ask that," Emily shook her head vehemently. "I can't." She grit her teeth, her eyes shut tightly. "Either way I would be giving my Larry up to strangers. I only thought that... perhaps I might not feel so bad if... I at least knew a happy couple had the first chance..."

Nick looked at Judy. He feared she would just say yes right away. She looked at Nick, her eyes swimming. "What are we supposed to _do_?"

"C-can we see a picture of him?" Nick offered.

"Of course, oh but my phone is so tiny," Emily said. "Can I have your number?" Judy gave the squirrel her number and she sent some pictures to her.

Judy gasped, starting to cry a little again. The first portrait was of his mother and father with the brand new, barely distinct squirrel baby. Then, one of him at about three years old, still with both parents. Then, five or so, and his father was missing. The squirrel boy didn't look as happy anymore. Nick and Judy had to admit he was an adorable child, though. He had rich blue eyes, his fur was gray with small patches of brown about. His underbelly was soft white, and his bushy, huge, almost intangible-looking tail had a mixture of browns, whites, and grays. He wore a soft, horizontally striped shirt. Nick swallowed, with great effort.

"I..." Judy said, and felt herself start to have conflicting thoughts, "I... Nick... can... can we have some time to think about this?"

"O-of course," Emily said. "Take all the time you-" She suddenly stopped herself. Nick and Judy felt as though they both had been pierced through their chests. There was another moment of painfully deafening silence. "I'll... answer the question you won't ask. ...About half a year."

* * *

-Tiny Tails and Precious Paws Elementary School, 12:00 PM, May-

With clearance from the faculty and permission from Mrs. Emily Curlyque, Nick and Judy had arranged to meet Larry at his school, during recess. The married couple sat in the corner of the playground, trying to make themselves seem as small as possible while they waited. Larry's school was one for the medium-sized rodents and mammals that would become too large to go to school comfortably in Little Rodentia. Among those, however, squirrels were still pretty small. Judy felt a small pang of anxiety as she saw a bunch of rodent kids stream out onto the playground. Nick prepared a small video camera.

Finally, they saw him. The little squirrel was holding a ball and wearing a brightly colored striped shirt. Larry caught sight of the two, flinching a bit, and stared up questioningly at his teacher, a female, middle-aged chinchilla who had followed him out. She gently gestured over towards Nick and Judy and nodded. Slowly, Larry wandered over.

"Hello there!" Judy said in her kindest voice possible. "Are you Larry?"

"Uh huh," Larry nodded, his ball hugged to his chest.

"My name is Judy Wilde-Hopps, and this is my husband, Nick," Judy smiled, indicating the fox. "D-do you know why we're here?"

"Yeah," Larry said, looking down. "...Momma hasta find me someone else to stay with." The words assaulted both of them. Nick tried to keep his hand steady as he was recording.

"Th-that's right..." Judy spoke carefully to keep control of herself. "She asked both of us to come see you and see what you thought of us."

Larry regarded them. "You're both big..."

"We are," Judy nodded. "B-but that just means we have big hearts, doesn't it?" Larry looked a bit quizzical. He stared at Nick.

"What's he doing?" Larry looked at the camera.

"Um, we thought it might be nice if we recorded each time we came to see you!" Judy smiled. "That way your mommy can see if we're the type of people she'd like to have around her little boy."

"Oh," Larry was staring right up at Nick. Nick felt as if the young squirrel's adorableness was eroding his senses. "Can he talk?" Nick's shoulders chucked, trying to hold the camera still.

"Yeah, I can talk, little guy," Nick smiled. "I'm just trying not to ruin the video with too much noise."

Or cry, he mentally added.

"So um..." Judy said, placing her hand near the ground. "Do you want to maybe roll the ball to me?" Larry nodded, doing this. All it took was a flick of one finger to send it back to him. They continued playing, Larry rolling the ball gently to her, and Judy gently flicking it back. "How old are you, Larry?"

"Seven an' a half," Larry said.

"Wow," Judy smiled warmly.

"How old are _you_?" Larry shot back curiously.

Judy giggled, "I'm thirty-one and Nick is thirty-nine. Are you pretty big for a squirrel?"

"Um," Larry thought about this. "Squirrels grow up pretty fast. ...Momma says I might hit eleven inches." Nick exhaled slowly as he thought about this. If he was that big, he'd only barely come up to Nick and Judy's waists. As it was, he barely made it past their knees, if they were to be standing up.

"Have you thought about what you'd like to be when you get older?" Judy said gently.

"I unno," Larry's shoulders shrugged. "Race car driver?"

"Okay," Judy giggled, thinking about the little squirrel driving a race car. They were in fact racing leagues made up of smaller rodent-sized cars. They tended to do more technical driving rather than extreme speed. But Judy tried to quickly chase those thoughts away. Best not start planning his future just yet, she thought.

After awhile, the school's bell sounded.

"I gotta go," Larry collected his ball. Judy felt a soft yearning.

"W-would you like us to see you again?"

Larry looked at the two. He gave a single, shy nod. "...Okay."

* * *

-Mezzo Park, 4:00 PM, June-

On this visit, Judy and Nick had taken Larry to the park. Judy was holding Larry with both of her hands. The feeling of the soft little squirrel being in her paws flooded her with both warmth and a sort of fearful responsibility. She had a tiny life right there in her hands, both literally and figuratively, and before long, she and Nick would have to make a decision that would affect both themselves and this small life. Nick was walking along with them, recording.

"Doing okay there, sport?" Nick grinned at the squirrel as he walked.

"Uh huh," Larry nodded. He did not look uncomfortable being held by Judy. "It's a little hot." Judy tried to keep her mouth from exploding into a smile.

"Well I know just the thing for that," Judy smiled. "What type of flavors do you like, Larry?"

"Peanuts are good," Larry explained, looking straight ahead at the scenery. "Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite."

Judy giggled. "Let's see what we can do, hm?" They all headed over to Judy's vixen friend, Vivian Reddish. She had a fairly popular fruit stand in the park and Judy often frequented it for refreshment and fellowship.

"Oh, Judy, Nick!" Vivian smiled. "So nice to see you two!" Judy placed Larry on top of the counter and Vivian gasped with her hands over her mouth. "Who is _this_ precious creature!?"

"I'm Larry," the squirrel introduced simply.

"We're trying to get to know him a bit better," Judy explained. Vivian's mouth wobbled slightly in a smile, overcome. She could tell what that implied.

"Hello Larry, would you like a cold drink?" Vivian beamed at him.

"Uh huh," Larry looked at all the options. There were a lot.

"I don't suppose you have peanut butter and jelly flavor?" Judy gave a guilty smile.

"No," Vivian laughed, "but how about we get you a nice grape drink, hm?" She carefully poured out a cold grape slush into her tiniest cup and handed it over. "You two want your usuals?" Judy nodded, and an orange smoothie and blueberry slush came up as well. Judy reached into her pocket.

"Don't even think about it," Vivian said warmly. "It's on the house."

"'On the house'?" Larry asked, taking a sip of his drink. "What's that mean? Is it cause I'm standing on your place?"

"No, that means its free," Vivian giggled gently. "Oh, he's just too sweet..."

"This is free?" Larry looked at his drink. "Thanks! You're nice." He looked at Nick and the camera. "Are you related?"

"Oh no, she's just a friend," Nick said in a slightly weak voice. He had been touched that Larry seemed to make the connection to him and kindness.

"Be careful when you drink your drink, okay, Larry?" Judy said with a finger up, drinking hers. "If you drink it too fast it might hurt your head, that's a brain freeze." Larry looked serious at the harsh-sounding ailment and started sipping slower.

"That's right," Nick went on evenly. "Judy is always getting those because she loves rushing into things without thinking." Judy shot him a bit of a stern look off-camera and Vivian winced and looked away. This was lost on Larry, who enjoyed his drink in peace.

* * *

-Nick and Judy's Aarvark Rise Apartment, 4:30 PM, June-

Nick gently set Larry down as the three got into their apartment. This time, Judy was filming. Larry looked around.

"Well, this is where Judy and I call home," Nick said.

"Is this where I'm gonna live?" Larry wondered.

"W-well, if you do end up staying with us, then yes," Nick nodded. "Yes it is."

"Where'm I gonna stay?" Larry looked curious.

Judy started to head towards her old room, which they used as an office. "Oh we'd keep you here, you'd have your own room!" Nick got in front of her, holding up his arms.

"Waaait a second, honey bunny, let's not show him the room just yet," Nick cautioned. "It's still a mess, with files and paperwork everywhere. Um... hey, kiddo, you hungry at all?"

"A little bit," Larry said.

"Okay then, champ, let me go ahead and make you a snack," Nick gently scooped him up and set him on their table, then he went to carefully prepare a tiny peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Oh, my favorite!" Larry brightened. He watched him make the sandwich. "Wow, Nick, how are you doing that? Your hands are so big..."

"Nick has very deft hands," Judy giggled. Nick shot her a warning glance. "...Th-that means um, he can even eat pieces of a cake made for a shrew! His hands are very careful, even more dexterous than mine!"

"Dex-ter-ous," Larry tried the word. Nick set the sandwich beside him, and he gratefully dug in. "Thanks!"

"Eat up, Lare!" Nick grinned.

"My name is Larry!" Larry corrected him.

"Oh, right," Nick chuckled.

"Momma said you two are police officers, right?" Larry asked them. The two nodded. "That's cool."

"We're trying to make the world a better place!" Judy said cheerfully.

"...Can you make my mom better?" Larry asked quietly. Nick and Judy were both crushed. Judy knew her shaky gasp would be audible on the video. Nick looked at her desperately.

"S-some things just..." Judy explained sadly. "There are just some things that no one can do, sweetie..."

Larry was quiet at this, eating the rest of his sandwich. Judy was trying not to cry. Nick watched him finish up.

"W-was that good, buddy?" Nick wondered, carefully trying to contain himself.

"Yeah," Larry nodded. Nick scooped him up and gently placed him on the floor.

"Now, I got you a little something, okay?" Nick said, handing him a small rectangular package wrapped in newspaper.

"Really? What's this?" Larry tore open the package. "Oh, cool!" It was a collection of various, small-mammal-sized toy cars, including a sports car, race car, and several other types, all brightly colored. "Thanks, Nick!"

Nick grinned as the squirrel dropped the package and ran for his ankle, expecting a small squirrel boy glomp there. However, Larry started scampering up and around Nick's body, swirling around him, a blur of fur.

"W-woah there!" Nick was suddenly very nervous. "C-careful! Jeez, the sugar from the jelly must have hit him fast!" Judy gasped again, but this time in delight.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Larry went on, ending up on Nick's shoulder. "You're so big, like a tree! But trees are easy for squirrels to climb."

"Yeah, a big tree, a redwood," Judy quipped. Nick looked at her in mild irritation, his eyes half-lid. However, his expression brightened when Larry hugged at his neck.

"Thank you for the present!" Larry was happy, his eyes closed.

"Aw, you're welcome, Larold," Nick's smile was a little shaky.

"Kuh!" Larry looked slightly exasperated. "I _told_ you, my name is _Larry_!"

"Oh, don't mind that silly fox," Judy giggled. "He loves giving everyone nicknames."

"Ooh!" Larry's eyes lit up. "That's cause your _name_ is Nick, isn't it?"

Judy and Nick were brought to a genuine, happy laugh. Larry's mouth opened in delight as he thought he had discovered an important truth.

* * *

-Mike's Mini-Mini Golf, 3:00 PM, July-

"Don't you wanna play too, Judy?" Larry asked the camera-wielding bunny, holding a nearly impossibly small putter, just the right size for him. Nick was holding one barely bigger than that.

"Uh uh, I told you, Nick's better using small things than me, you play with him, okay?" Judy smiled warmly. "I'm just a big clumsy bunny."

Judy sighed wistfully as Nick and Larry played mini-golf. Nick was so good with Larry, patiently teaching him how to line up his shot and use just the right amount of force to get the shot you wanted. Larry looked delighted whenever he made a good shot. Despite the praise to his careful hands, Nick wasn't actually all that great at mini-golf. At least, not small-animal sized mini-golf. The club was indeed way too small for him. He kept missing shots or using a bit too much power.

"Aw Nick, you missed again!" Larry laughed.

"Sure did," Nick smirked.

Judy knew she adored kids, and saw Nick's tenderness coming out as he spent time with the little squirrel. Could they really take care of him? Judy wondered this to herself. She kept recording, trying to stay focused, on both the filming and the activity.

"All right, Larry! Only two strokes for that one, good job!" Nick commended him.

"Yeah!" Larry hopped up.

As the game came to the end, Judy was still recording as Nick had Larry add up both his and the fox's score for the game.

"Aw, I lost," Larry said with a smile.

"Now just hold on a second," Nick said with a grin. "Check that score again."

Larry added up the numbers again, using his little paws to aid him. "I did the adding right... your score is bigger!"

"It sure is," Nick went on. "But remember the object of the game? You have to get the _least_ number of strokes!"

"So I won...?" Larry checked the scores again.

"Yup!" Nick grinned. "Gimme five!" Nick offered his hand down low to Larry and the squirrel slapped into it enthusiastically with both of his paws. "Haha, ten works too."

"That was so fun, Nick!" Larry was clearly enthused.

Judy placed a hand near her chest and sighed again. She noticed the battery on the camera was running low. "Ah, I think that's about all the time we have for this one." She shut it off.

"Aw, okay," Larry actually seemed a bit reluctant.

"Lets get you back home, kiddo," Nick said, offering his arm, which Larry quickly scampered up and onto Nick's shoulder. It was becoming so easy, like they had been doing it for years. Judy tried to fight back an encroaching burst of emotion. It escaped, however, in a shaky cough.

"Are you okay, Judy?" Larry asked from his perch.

"Just fine," Judy lied.

* * *

-Mary Anne Wilde's Rainforest District Home, 2:00 PM, July-

Nick was recording as the three entered his mother's home. Judy had Larry held carefully in her hands; she didn't feel as comfortable holding him on her shoulder as Nick. Mary Anne Wilde gasped and got to her feet as she saw the three, heading over.

"Oh my goodness, I have heard so much about you!" Mary headed over slowly as to not frighten him. "You're Larry, right?"

"Yeah," Larry nodded, turning to the camera to ask Nick: "Are you related to _this_ fox?"

"Haha, yup, I am," Nick grinned. "This is my mother."

"Really?" Larry looked amazed. He looked at Mary, who had a kind smile.

"Oh, you're just a little darling," Mary said. "You'll be like my little grand-kit."

"Mom..." Nick softly warned.

"Oh, anyway, I've got some lemonade made for all of us," Mary said softly. "Do you know how to play cards, Larry?"

"Uh huh, I can play, uh," Larry thought, "go fish?"

"That sounds great, dear," Mary went on. "Would you like to play with this old vixen?"

Nick was going to protest her age, but she was starting to show it a little.

"Sure!" Larry seemed pleased.

"Oh, Judy, did you bring the thing I asked for?" Nick looked to Judy, who was watching in adoration.

"Oh! Yes, yes," Judy set down Larry on the table, bringing out a new, small deck of playing cards out of her pocket.

"How thoughtful, you two," Mary said, using her claw to tear open the plastic. "My cards might be a bit big for this little one yet."

Nick recorded the two playing cards, and Judy was biting at her knuckles, trying to hide a big grin at how well they seemed to be getting along. Abruptly, Nick shut off the camera and set it down gently. He threw his arm over his eyes and headed off to the kitchen quietly. Mary noticed this, trying not to react. Judy went after him.

Nick was trying not to cry in the kitchen. His breaths were coming fast.

"Nick, what's the matter?" Judy asked quietly.

"I can't do this anymore, Judy, what we're doing is _wrong_!" Nick said through grit teeth.

"W-what do you mean its wrong!?" Judy said, trying to keep her voice down. "All these... all these visits have been so wonderful!"

"Yes, wonderful, perfect, idyllic!" Nick said, choking out a gasp. "We're spoiling that poor kid, letting him think that life with us is going to be made up of carefully cherry-picked moments of pleasure from the best ideas we could come up with...!"

"Nick!" Judy was shocked. "Th-the moments we've shared aren't _fake_...!"

"No, but they are misleading!" Nick wiped a tear away. "We can't always be there for that little guy. How many times are we going to disappoint him by saying we have to work late or are on some special assignment?"

"I already talked to Chief Bogo, sweetie!" Judy protested. "He said he might be able to get our shifts standardized time-wise and give us weekends off. That way we can be there for him after school and on weekends!"

"You know it's not always going to work like that, Judy," Nick sighed shakily, "there are always extenuating circumstances."

"Nick...!" Judy was amazed at his sudden display of fear. "Look where we are standing right now! Your mother's home! She has been bothering us about grand-kits since she knew we were a couple!"

"So what, we're just going to impose on her at every whim?" Nick gestured widely.

"On something it sounds like she's wanted for a long time?" Judy folded her arms. "I don't think it's too much to ask."

"I just..." Nick shuddered. "I feel so stressed out, Judy, and we're running out of time..."

"If you ask me, Nick," Judy said softly, "I think you know the only way that this whole thing could be _wrong_ is if we made the wrong _choice_..."

"Are Nick and Judy fighting?" Larry said, looking towards the kitchen.

"They're just discussing something important, sweet thing," Mary tried to keep a smile on.

"Me?" Larry looked at Mary with his blue eyes. She took in a soft breath.

"Y-yes, dear heart," Mary nodded. "I always forget how perceptive and sensitive young ones are..."

"Do you think they want to keep me?" Larry was shuffling his cards in his hands restlessly.

"Oh sweetheart, I hope so," Mary's smile wobbled slightly. "...Do _you_ want them to?"

Larry set down his cards, his hands in his lap. "...Yeah." He gasped a little as he heard the two start approaching. He stood up on the table, turning towards them.

Both the bunny and the fox had slightly shamed looks, knowing they had been at least partly overheard.

"Nick, Judy!" Larry's voice was slightly anxious. "Can I please stay with you?"

Their mouths hung agape.

* * *

-Zootopia Mercy General Hospital, Room 414, 5:00 PM, August-

Nick and Judy had come in to see Emily Curlyque. Their hearts sunk as they saw she was no longer looking very well. She'd been moved to a different floor that provided more intense care. Small patches of her fur were bare, and she looked very, very tired.

"Hello, Nick and Judy," Emily said softly. "How are you?"

"We... Nick and I have something we'd like you to see," Judy said. They set up their video of all the moments they had collected on Mrs. Curlyque's TV in the hospital room.

Her emotions varied wildly. She laughed, she cried, she gasped in delight. But at the end of it she looked... relieved.

"Please tell me this means..." Emily started.

Judy nodded. "We'd love to adopt your son, Emily."

Emily gasped tearfully. " _Really_?"

"Absolutely," Nick nodded, smiling gently. "Without a doubt." The two slowly approached either side of the bed and offered their hands. Emily cautiously placed her small paws in each of theirs.

"This makes me so incredibly happy..." Emily said, sniffling. She looked so fragile at that moment. Nick felt his worry intensify. "This, this video. These moments you've captured. ...This is the greatest gift I could have been given. These memories you've shared with me will be etched into my soul as I greet eternity. Thank you so, so much."

"Of course..." Judy said, her eyes swimming. Nick's breaths shook.

"Momma!" A nurse had helped get Larry into the room. She placed him on the bed, where he scampered closer to his mother, but slowed because he was aware of how careful he needed to be.

"Hello, sweetie," Emily said. "My sweet boy."

"Nick and Judy want me to stay with them," Larry said. He was happy, but cautious.

"I know, Larry," Emily said tenderly, petting his head. They hugged, very gently. "In a short time, they will be your parents. I know they will love you like their own, they've showed me they will."

"Oh, did you bring the video?" Larry asked them. "Can I see?"

"Do you want us to show it again, Emily...?" Nick said cautiously.

"Please, more than anything."

Nick and Judy sat on the bed near Emily as they showed the video again, this time with Larry between Nick and Judy. Emily found herself watching the three more than the video.

"Oh, you remember that?"  
"That was tasty."  
"I still can't believe you made that shot."

Emily found herself smiling warmly. She hadn't felt this at peace since long before she was diagnosed. A tranquility lay upon her, as she knew she'd found two loving people to entrust Larry with. Two warm, joyful people to care for her sweet, tender child.

Just two weeks later, Emily Curlyque was gone.

* * *

-Nick and Judy's Aarvark Rise Apartment, 7:00 PM, September-

It was a small, solemn funeral. With very few family or friends, Emily Curlyque was laid to rest, looked on by just Judy and Nick, Larry, and a few of Nick and Judy's closest relatives. Nick and Judy cried a lot, though they barely knew her. Larry was sniveling the whole time, even on the way back to his new home.

Judy and Nick were emotionally spent as they got back to their apartment. Judy was carrying the still sniffling squirrel as they got in. They all slowly sat on the couch. Larry was hugged tightly onto Judy's midsection, sniffling and sobbing. Nick placed one of his arms around Judy. Judy and Nick gently, and carefully, alternated petting down Larry's back softly with just one finger each.

There were no words to say.

Slowly, Larry's crying became more infrequent and finally stopped. He was completely drained from his sadness, and quickly started fluttering into sleep. He slumped into the bunny's lap, falling to rest.

"There he goes," Nick whispered. "Want to put him to bed?"

"Maybe in a little bit," Judy whispered back. "Let's wait till he falls a bit deeper into sleep."

"Well, look at what we've gotten ourselves into," Nick softly sighed.

"I know," Judy said faintly. "Isn't he so lovely...?"

"Yeah, he really, really is," Nick's breath trembled. "I'm so scared of disappointing him."

"Just keep up like the months we've been getting to know him," Judy smiled. "You'll be an excellent father..."

"I hope so... I mean, I have no doubt at all you'll be an amazing mom," Nick kissed her temple.

"I feel so deeply for this little guy," Judy said. "And we've barely known him for any time at all. I really hope we can be the type of parents he needs..."

"Me too, sweetheart."

Not too much longer, and Judy gently got up, carefully cradling the sleeping squirrel so as not to disturb him. She took him to her old room, now _his_ room. It had been tidied up. There were a few toys there, a game system, and a bed that Judy knew he was too small for, but that he would grow into. The whole room was a work in progress. Judy gently placed him on the bed and brought the covers over him. Larry stirred slightly, but did not wake.

"There we go," Judy said barely audibly. "Good night, Larry... see you in the morning."

As Judy walked away, she stopped at the doorway, turning her head back. An incredible yearning awoke in her heart, and she found herself whispering:

"I love you."

It felt very good.


	16. Smiling Partners

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment, Larry's Room-

"Argh, c'mon, I had just gotten back!" Nick Wilde-Hopps gestured at the TV in his adopted squirrel son Larry's room. The two were playing a video game; Nick was sitting on the floor, and the gray squirrel was sitting on his bed. Nick was losing, pretty badly.

"Nick, you're just _letting_ me win, aren't you?" Larry chuckled, giving a slight chitter with his laugh.

"No, I swear!" Nick said, grimacing and wrestling with the controls. He didn't have the excuse that his hands were too big, as they had three controllers, all sized just right for two medium-small sized animals, and one who was quite small. "Remember, I just learned how to play this today. Which button is jump again?" The game finished, and Larry won. "Gah! Well, good game, Larry." Nick offered his fist and Larry gave it a one-two punch with his small squirrel hands. "Are you sure you didn't pick an overpowered character?"

"Nick, none of the characters are overpowered!" Larry protested. "All of them have stuff they are good or bad at. You just gotta practice with them!"

"Well then!" Nick rubbed his chin. "I never thought I'd say this, but it looks like Super Bash Bunnies can teach you something about real life!" Nick poked Larry's tummy to elicit a giggle.

"What do you mean?" Larry was confused.

"Well, look at all of these unique characters," Nick pointed at the character select screen. "Some of them are big, some are small. Some have sharp claws, others use tools or are very fast. But all of them can win the game. In real life, animals are very different too. We are big or small, and we all have our own unique traits like agility, strength, night vision, or hearing. But all of us can be _good_ people, if we practice at it."

Larry looked happy at this little nugget of wisdom. But then he frowned slightly. "But Nick, there are bad people in the world, too. That's why you and Judy are police officers, right?"

"That's right, Larry. Those people don't practice at being good," Nick nodded. "We are the 'characters' in our own lives. We all have the _capacity_ to be good. So don't you forget that, okay?"

Larry shook his head as he internalized the lesson. "I won't!"

Nick shot him a smug grin. "Now, if you want to _lose_ at this game, you should play against your mo- er, Judy." Nick caught himself almost dropping the "m-bomb". Even though they only had Larry as a part of their family for several months, he was finding it so natural to refer to her as a mother. But he didn't want to force this on Larry; he would rather it happen organically, if he ever even _wanted_ to call them "mother" and "father".

"Is Judy good at this game?" Larry smirked.

"She played the first one with her brothers and sisters while growing up," Nick said. "And once she gets into something, she gets _really_ into it. I wouldn't expect any mercy. She'd probably beat _me_ ninety-nine times out of a hundred." Larry chuckled at this.

Nick's ears twitched slightly as he heard the sound of a door closing.

"Speaking of bunnies..."

"Judy!" Larry gasped.

* * *

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment-

"Judy!" Larry repeated, rushing out of his room towards her, followed much more lazily by Nick. Judy had groceries in both hands and looked slightly startled at the quickly incoming squirrel boy. Nick reached into his pocket, preparing himself for the inevitable.

"Uh oh!" Judy's teeth showed in a tiny bit of worry as she crouched and set the groceries on the ground as quickly as she could. Larry seemed to move smoothly as silk as he jumped onto the couch, running along it as his large, bushy tail waved like a pennant, and then launched himself off the couch's arm towards Judy. Judy straightened up just in time.

Nick gave a silent fist pump as he captured a picture of the startled Judy holding her hands out to catch the leaping, jubilant squirrel. Nick then kissed at his own fingers.

"Hi, Judy!" Larry was now latched firmly onto her in an exuberant hug. Judy had one hand around him and one hand under him to support him.

"Aw, hey there..." Judy's expression was warm and caring. "Sheez, you always give me a fright when you do that."

"Squirrels are the best scurriers, though!" Larry explained. "And you give good hugs."

Judy giggled, thrilled. "Well, I hope you're going to be ready for a _lot_ of those in the coming years. I got a bunch of practice hugging with all of my hundreds of family members."

"And Nick, you like hugging Nick!" Larry accused happily.

"All the time!" Judy agreed.

"Speaking of Nick, how about you turn your heads over to him and say hi?" Nick offered, trying to frame another good picture.

"Hi...!" They both obeyed him. Nick took a picture of their hug, getting their bright, happy faces aligned just right in the shot.

"Mm, that's the good stuff," Nick's expression was soft as he took in the picture. He wiggled his phone. "I'll have to spread this one around the office."

"Ooh," Judy's expression narrowed a bit in caution. "Please be careful about showing Benjamin. You know what happens when he sees something really, uh... 'cute'..."

"He makes a noise louder than the sonic function on your customized stun gun, I know," Nick chuckled.

Judy set Larry down softly. "Oh Nick, you'll never guess who I ran into at the store!"

Nick came over to pick up the groceries and put them away for Judy. "So is that a challenge, or should I just give up now to save some time?"

"It was Jiji!" Judy gave a single hop.

"Jiji, really?" Nick looked blindsided. "That nice leopard gecko from the massage parlor in Pawaii?"

"Leopard... geck-co...?" Larry sounded out the second word. "What kind of leopard is that?"

Judy crouched next to Larry. "Well, Larry, it's actually not a 'leopard' at all. Leopard geckos are reptiles! They're a completely different type of animal." Larry seemed a bit concerned at this.

"A few of the characters in Super Bash Bunnies are reptiles, sport," Nick said, putting away some of the nuts Judy had bought. They were getting a lot more varied types of those, lately. "The ones without fur; with scales and all."

"The game's name is kinda misleading, isn't it?" Judy giggled.

"Oh," Larry still seemed slightly concerned, "those are _real_? That's kinda... uh, weird."

"Now, Larry," Judy said, giving him a small pet. "It's okay to think that things are a bit unusual; sometimes we can't help that, but make sure you never say something like that _to_ an animal you think looks 'weird', okay? It's not nice."

"O-okay," Larry nodded. "I promise."

"So what's going on with Jiji?" Nick said, putting away the milk, his fox tail giving a sweep across the floor. "If you caught even a tiny glimpse of her I can't imagine she got far before you were in her face."

"You know me," Judy kicked out her feet a bit. "She's here on a work visa I think? She's actually kind of having some problems. ...Ah... it looks like the place she wanted to stay didn't know what a leopard 'gecko' was either, and they have a no-reptiles policy." Nick sucked his teeth in annoyance.

"Why?" Larry wondered.

"Larry, that is an fantastic question," Nick said with his eyes half-lid. "And you know what? There's not a good answer to it."

"Do we know of anywhere she could stay?" Judy asked. "I got her number if we think of anything."

"Well heck, isn't the room right next to us vacant?" Nick shrugged.

"Aardvark Rise is a little expensive though," Judy lolled her ears in concern, her head tilting. "But... it does have quite an accepting atmosphere; that's why I chose it in the first place. When we moved in, no one even batted an eye."

"That," Nick started, "and Aardvark rise is great for anything from small to medium-large animals. The doors have several handles pre-installed on them at various height, so even Larry can get around easily. You know, I would actually kinda like to have Jiji as a neighbor. She was really sweet."

"Let me get her on the phone and see if her circumstances permit," Judy smiled, nodding her agreement.

Larry felt a small bit of worry in his stomach. He didn't know if he was quite as sure as his adopted parents.

* * *

-Aardvark Rise, Nick and Judy's Floor-

Nick headed to the doorway of his apartment, dusting off his hands. It had been just a week and a half.

"Welp, got all of Jiji's stuff into the place," Nick gave a proud sigh. He knew it was easy to help a smaller animal move, but it made him feel good nonetheless.

"Aw Nick, you're such a sweetheart for helping her," Judy came over to him and smooched him briefly, standing on her tip toes. Larry, playing with toy cars on the floor, snuck a peek at this.

"I told her we'd come over and say hi properly in just a couple of minutes," Nick said. Judy turned to Larry, walking over and crouching next to him.

"Larry?" Judy asked. "Would you like to come meet Jiji?"

Larry felt a small wave of anxiety crash on him. "Um... okay."

Judy smiled at him. "Now, remember what I said, Larry. A great bunny philosopher once said: 'If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.'"

"Okay," Larry nodded at Judy.

Nick chuckled. "A bunny said that?" Judy gave him a few diagonal nods with her eyes open fully and her mouth even.

As they walked down towards Jiji's new apartment, Larry felt fear grip him. The reptiles of Super Bash Bunnies were quite scary. Big claws and teeth; fantastic abilities like breathing fire. Larry wondered just how tall a leopard gecko would be. Big as a normal leopard? His breaths quickened a bit. Then he was distracted by thinking of another character from the game that wasn't so scary. Wasn't that one a reptile, too? He was actually kind of cute, Larry thought.

Larry was standing behind Nick when the door opened. Larry timidly stared up at the space he expected to see Gigi, but saw nothing. His eyes slowly scanned down until, in disbelief, he regarded a creature not too much bigger than _he_ was!

"Oh, Judy and Nick!" Jiji greeted in her charming accented mammalian. "Please come in, yes?" The three entered her new place. It looked fairly bare bones, as she had yet to unpack.

Larry looked over the leopard gecko. She was just about a foot tall, not counting her long tail. Her color was soft yellow with black splotches everywhere. Her yellow faded to white near her tail, and her neck and belly were also white. She had intriguing, fully dark green eyes with black slits, and the eyes had speckled light details in them that almost looked like stars. She was wearing a simple, but pretty light blue and white Pawaiian dress. Above all, though, she wore a very pleasant smile.

"Jiji," Judy said happily. "There's someone we'd like you to meet." Judy beckoned over to Larry, who shyly came out from behind Nick's legs.

Gigi's mouth dropped open in surprise instantaneously. She clasped her hands near her face in joy. Larry heard her say a few things he did not understand. "Who is this wonder you bring me? He is a squirrel, yes?" She was overjoyed, fighting the impulse to go hug him.

"I'm Larry," Larry introduced. His trepidation was wearing off; he hadn't expected her to be so small.

"Is he...?" Jiji looked up at Nick.

"We adopted him," Nick confirmed, nodding.

Jiji gasped in delight. "Your hearts are so warm, like the sun! I am very pleased for you all, yes?" Jiji could not help herself from drawing a bit closer to Larry and holding his hands gently. Larry didn't back away; Jiji seemed friendly.

"Um," Larry began, trying to think of something nice to say. He had more things to say than he thought, but he ended up with: "You look really young!"

"Oh...!" Jiji giggled, gently swinging his hands. "But I am not! Unless you would say twenty-seven is young, yes?"

"You uh, talk kinda different," Larry noted. Both Nick and Judy thought they might protest, but it sounded rather neutral to them, so they let it pass.

"My native language is reptilian, as I am from Pawaii, yes?" Jiji still was holding his hands.

"What's that sound like?" Larry was curious.

"Little one, may your life be full of rich blessings that overflow from the land, sea, and sky, and may your family share in these blessings with you." Jiji squinted happily and slightly crouched as she earnestly said this, before gently letting go of his hands and straightening up, holding her hands in front of her and tilting her head forward in adoration.

Larry turned his head back to Nick and Judy. "What'd she say?"

"Not quite sure," Nick admitted. "I _think_ it's a traditional Pawaiian blessing, to children. Something like, 'may you and your family have blessings.'"

"Ooh!" Jiji looked up, delighted. "You have been _practicing_ , Nick, yes?"

"A little bit," Nick shrugged humbly. "I just want to make sure reptiles aren't talking about me behind my back, you see."

"I will say nothing unpleasant, I hope!" Jiji giggled.

"So Jiji, did you find a job at a massage parlor here?" Judy wondered.

Though Jiji's smile did not waver, her eyes slightly turned apologetic and her head tilted. "Well, not quite. There was a restaurant I heard of in the Zootopia that wished to have authentic Pawaiian staff, yes? I obtained a working visa. I was very excited to come to the Zootopia, so I made arrangements to."

"Jiji..." Judy looked a bit concerned. "That's not really your _dream_ , is it...?"

"Not perfectly," Jiji admitted. "But it is still in the industry of service, yes? I may still make animals happy, and experience all the wonders of mammals."

"Well, as long as you're happy," Nick said.

"Oh but I am!" Jiji nodded. "Perhaps I will find my dream job yet within this city, maybe even become a citizen, yes?"

"Oh that would be amazing!" Judy clapped. "Anyone can be anything in Zootopia!"

"This I have heard!" Jiji smiled brightly.

* * *

-Nick and Judy's Aarvark Rise Apartment-

A couple of months later, Judy entered her apartment in the evening, carrying a batch of laundry. Setting it down, she looked over at the couch, where Nick and Larry were. Larry was sitting on Nick's lap, running his toy car up and down his leg. Nick didn't look like he minded at all, or even noticed. He was eating from a bowl of popcorn off to the side as he watched TV. Judy nibbled on her knuckles with her front teeth, making a hum of pleasure, starting to giggle through the hum.

Larry noticed her. "What's Judy doing, Nick?"

"She thinks we're cute," Nick smirked down at him.

"Are we?" Larry wondered.

"No idea," Nick said, taking a popcorn piece and flicking it in an arc towards Larry. He made an "aaa" sound as he tried to catch it, tilting his head back, but it bounced off his forehead. "We'll work on that one."

Judy felt like she was melting into a puddle of gray goo. Her stupor was broken, however, by the sound of shuffling from the hall and a door shutting firmly. Her ears perked toward this, but the other two did not hear. Judy wandered to where her wall and Jiji's connected and thought she might have heard some sort of crying. Nick started to read concern on Judy's face.

"I think I might have left some clothes in the hallway," Judy fibbed, "so you boys stay here and keep being adorable, okay?"

"Kay," Larry nodded. Nick chuckled, gently jostling him by the shoulder.

Judy made her way into the hallway and gently knocked on Jiji's door. After awhile, the door cracked open and the smiling face of Jiji showed. However, Judy sensed something was wrong. Her eyes looked a bit... pained?

"Jiji, is everything okay?" Judy wondered.

"Um, yes, now is not a good time," Jiji shook her head.

"Okay, what would be a good time?" Judy tilted her head.

"Perhaps, t-two months from now...?" Jiji said in a weak voice, her eyes looking even more pained.

"Two _months_?" Judy tried to keep her voice down. "What's wrong?"

"It is nothing!" Jiji insisted. She kept the door nearly shut.

Judy's brow furrowed a bit. "Jiji, as a member of the ZPD, if I think anything is going on, I have the right and ability to open this door."

Jiji gave a frightened gasp. "Please, no! I am doing nothing illegal!" Judy felt a pang of guilt at how scared she sounded.

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," Judy apologized. "But please... I want to help you, if I can do anything at all..."

"You cannot help," Jiji said, looking like she would cry, though her smile stayed firm. "But, if I open this door, you will promise not to scream."

"Uh," Judy felt a pang of fear. "Okay, I promise." Jiji looked into the empty hallway cautiously, and opened the door a bit more, stepping out. Judy's stomach turned, and she felt like she might be ill. She steadied herself on the wall briefly.

"J-jiji...!" Judy said haltingly, attempting to stay quiet and calm, "Y-your _tail_...!" A very large portion of Jiji's previously long and comely tail was missing.

"Yes..." Jiji affirmed, tears welling.

"We have to get you to a hospital...!" Judy said in horror.

"N-no, it is fine, it is nothing..." Jiji waved her hands.

"It's not _nothing_ , a part of your _body_ is missing!" Judy protested.

"I will be fine, I assure you..." Jiji's smile wobbled, but remained. Her eyes squeezed shut and a couple of tears escaped. "As I say, two months. My tail will grow back."

Judy's jaw dropped. "It will...?" Jiji nodded very quickly.

"Two months, and I will be as good as, as new..." Jiji said. Judy was a bit unsure, as Jiji's chirpy verbal tic had not made its way into the conversation once.

"Are you _sure_?" Judy asked. "Is there anything you're not telling me?"

"...It will," Jiji started to say with difficulty, "it will not be as lovely as my previous tail. It will be shorter, thicker, pinker."

"Oh, Jiji," Judy gave her a soft hug, which she tightly latched onto. "Are you in much pain? I can go get some pain reliever I got for Larry, if you won't let me take you to the hospital. Should be the right dosage for one your size..."

"I... am hurting, some..." Jiji admitted.

Judy was off in a flash, bolting into the apartment, grabbing the medicine from the cabinet, and waving to the fox and the squirrel. "Hi! Jiji has a bit of an ouchie so I'm just gonna take her some of this and you two just stay there and be completely amazing, okay!? I love you, thank you, bye!"

Larry looked puzzled, looking to Nick, who rolled his eyes. Judy was gone in seconds.

"It's about your bedtime, kiddo."

"Aw, okay."

* * *

-Jiji's Aardvark Rise Apartment-

Judy sat next to Jiji on her smallish couch. Jiji swallowed a couple of pills with water and set the glass down.

"Thank you, Judy," Jiji said, trying not to let her tail touch anything. "I am grateful." Judy couldn't help gazing into the wound. It looked very unpleasant; Judy was surprised it wasn't still bleeding.

"H-how did this even happen, Jiji...?" Judy wondered, petting her back carefully. "Did someone... attack you?"

"Oh no, it was an accident, I am sure!" Jiji nodded, her eyes still slightly pained. "A horse... she was not... er, she did not see me." She was trying not to sound accusatory.

"Oh my stars and heavens..." Judy was horrified. She couldn't help imagining the visceral pain of a hoof coming down on a tail like that. "Did she at least say she was sorry? Offer any assistance? Call for an ambulance?"

"N-no, she ran from me," Jiji looked down. Judy clearly seemed disgusted. "No, please do not misunderstand! It was frightening for her too, I know this. My tail was off, still ...umh... t-twitching, as they do when removed."

Judy shivered at that. "D-does that happen often to leopard geckos?"

"It is not too uncommon," Jiji still seemed rather sad.

"I feel like something's bothering you that you're not saying," Judy noted.

"The leopard geckos with regrown tails..." Jiji said slowly. "They are not considered as beautiful. In the massage parlors, I know of no leopard geckos with regrown tails. They would like the prettiest ones possible for clients. I do not wish to brag, but I was considered quite pretty among my kind..."

"Oh I can believe that!" Judy said brightly, rubbing her back. "You are gorgeous!"

"T-that is very kind for a mammal to say to a reptile," Jiji's smile looked weak. "I do not know what the future holds for me, though. I am worried... maybe I will never be a masseuse again?"

"No, don't say that!" Judy said sadly in a high pitch. "Keep going with your dream, please! After all, I don't think anyone in Zootopia would be aware of that weird tail stigma they have going on over in Pawaii. Once you get it back I'm sure anyone would think you were just as lovely as before!"

Jiji seemed a bit unconvinced, but her eyes did not look as sad anymore.

"Jiji, whatever you do, please don't give up hope," Judy said kindly. "The service industry is such a perfect fit for you. And do you know why I think that?" Jiji tilted her head, and then shook it. "Because you are beautiful, and the most beautiful part of you is your amazingly sweet personality." Jiji gasped.

"Th-that is very kind of you to say, yes?" Jiji hugged the bunny. Her smile seemed warmer, at last.

Judy hugged gently in return. She was very careful of her tail.

* * *

-Outside of Aardvark Rise-

It had been around twenty days since Jiji lost her tail. Nick caught sight of her across the block, at a small insectivore snack stand. He stood at the crosswalk, waiting for the signal, hoping to go see her and ask her how she was.

"I wish to have the umh, cricket snack, please," Jiji said, smiling. Her tail was starting to grow back; it was just a fleshy looking nub at the moment.

"Well, which one? I have like half a dozen kinds," the badger at the counter said impatiently, indicating his menu.

"I wish, umh, that one, yes?" Jiji pointed at the menu. Irritated, the badger followed her finger.

"Alright, whatever," the badger shrugged, getting it ready. Jiji hesitantly reached into her wallet to produce some money.

"Thank you!" Jiji said, offering the money. The badger's expression was sour.

"This stick is five bucks, not three!" The badger spat, holding the stick full of crickets away from her. "Whatsa matter, can't you read?" Jiji didn't answer. Nick's eyes widened and he started to hope the signal would change very soon. "Oh, I get it, you can't, can you? You're too good for our language, aren'tcha, you furless freak?" Jiji flinched, but she was still, as always, smiling.

"Okay, wow, that's quite enough!" Nick said with a faux pleasant tone, rushing over to Jiji. "Nick Wilde-Hopps, ZPD!" He flashed his badge. "How about you apologize to this nice leopard gecko and give her the food?"

"Hey fox, it's a free country, I can say what I want," the badger's eyes narrowed. "This little 'lizard' is just a stupid foreigner. She's as dumb as she looks! Look at that vapid smile on her face, she probably can't understand a word I'm sayin'!" Nick looked at Jiji. Her smile remained, but Nick was getting good at reading her eyes. She was hurt.

"Alright well, ma'am," Nick said to Jiji. "How about I take you to a _much_ nicer insectivore store I know, one _much_ more deserving of your time and money?"

"Up your tail, pig!" The badger sneered at him, waving a hand dismissively. "I don't need no business from any scaly immigrants!"

"And you certainly will not have it," Nick suddenly gave a displeased, intense growl. The badger's eyes widened. Nick's expression immediately became pleasant again. "Good day."

"You are so kind to me, yes...?" Jiji giggled softly as Nick walked with her. Nick heard a groaning. He looked at her in concern and her eyes looked apologetic. "I am hungry, hehe..." It had come from her tummy.

"It's just couple of blocks from here, Jiji, but let me take you there, okay?" Nick said in concern.

"I appreciate this," Jiji nodded.

"I hate to say this," Nick said, his hands in his pockets, "but I'm almost sorry you have to be stuck with that lovely smile on your face all of the time."

"Oh no, it is not like that at all!" Jiji laughed. "I can frown, it just takes some effort, yes?" She frowned at Nick. It looked very, very genuine and sorrowful. He felt his heart ache. Her smile returned. "I do not like to frown. I do not like to cause trouble to anyone at all, yes? It is better that they do not know if I am sad."

Nick's heartache began to blaze. "Jiji I... wow. I really understand where you're coming from..."

Jiji giggled cheerfully. "Of course you do, it is Pawaii!"

"Oh, oops, that's a figure of speech," Nick laughed gently. "I mean, I think you and I are actually alike in a lot of ways. I used to hide my emotions all the time, too. I didn't want anyone to know they got to me. But, sometimes, we can only be healed if we show our wounds."

"I see," Jiji nodded. Nick tried not to look at her tail.

"What I'm saying is, Jiji..." Nick crouched down when they had to wait at the next crosswalk, offering his hand to her. She placed hers in it. "Please. If you're hurting, or anyone is giving you trouble, please let me or Judy know. I'm begging you. We're your friends. If you don't feel like smiling, don't. Show us what's wrong; let us help."

Jiji gasped in surprised. "You would call me a friend?"

"Puh! Of course!" Nick looked amazed she didn't think they would. "After all, I have _plenty_ of friends that have never seen me sans clothes, and you have!"

Jiji placed her hands to her cheeks in embarrassment. She said quietly in reptilian: "Nick, you and Judy are very special people. I will treasure your friendship."

"And I, yours." Nick said in return. Jiji was not expecting him to understand this, and a happy, embarrassed giggle escaped from her.

"Is that a happy smile?" Nick asked accusingly.

"Very..." Jiji was beaming.

Nick led her into the insectivore shop. There were lots of foods there that looked quite delightful, if you were into that sort of thing. There were crickets, worms, bees with their honey, and several other items. The shop owner was a laid back looking male moon bear, which they were known as from the white v-shape of fur on their chest.

"Oh hey, Nick!" The bear greeted with a friendly wave. "Wow, is that a _leopard gecko_?"

* * *

-Aardvark Rise, Nick and Judy's Floor-

"Jiji!" The squirrel's voice called down the hall. Larry had caught sight of Jiji right before he, Nick, and Judy had entered their apartment. Larry tore down the hall to go say hi, meeting her near the elevator. Nick and Judy both held out cautionary hands, but it was to no avail. Jiji was carrying two bags of groceries; it had been ten days since Nick had talked to her on the street. "Can I help?"

Jiji looked to Nick and Judy for permission, and they softly nodded, walking down to be closer.

"Thank you, sweet boy," Jiji said, offering him the lighter of the two bags. He and Jiji walked toward her door slowly.

"I kinda feel like we're cheating a little with this parenting thing," Nick grinned with his hands in his pockets.

"How so?" Judy asked, her hands folding.

"Larry obviously got a head start on being an exceptional kid. He was like that when we met him," Nick nodded over to him.

"Yeah, that's probably why Mrs. Curlyque was so desperate to find him a home before she..." Judy trailed off, looking down. Nick wrapped an arm around her.

Larry flinched at the first can he could read from looking into the bag. He made a grossed out face. "Eww, worms!?"

Jiji laughed. "That is right. Not for squirrel kids to eat. They enjoy the nuts and the berries, yes?"

"Yeah," Larry nodded. He looked at Jiji's tail. Its growing had increased rapidly, and it was looking like an actual tail. It was still pink and texture-less. "Does your tail hurt?"

"Not so much anymore, Larry," Jiji nodded, opening the door to her place and going to set her things down. "It is just a bit sensitive, yes?"

"Nick told me you can't uh, can't read?" Larry asked, hoping this didn't fall under "not nice".

"No, not mammalian," Jiji shook her head. Then, she tilted it flippantly left and right a few times in a rather cute way. "But, I will learn."

"That's okay, I didn't know how to read a few years ago, either," Larry tried to give a reassuring smile. Jiji laughed in amusement. Nick and Judy both made stifled chuckles, standing at Jiji's doorway.

"What a lovely child you are," Jiji told him warmly.

"Um," Larry was suddenly apprehensive, "you don't want to leave, do you? Back to uh, paw-eye-ee?"

"I do not think so!" Jiji tilted her head, curious at the question. "Unless you would very much want me to." Jiji gave a small smile.

"No! No, don't," Larry shook his head. "You're nice. I just wondered, cuz, y'know, people have been mean to you."

"Oh it is just a few little things," Jiji waved her hand dismissively. "I have found much friendship and love in the Zootopia already, yes? A few mean people are not going to chase me off to Pawaii."

"Okay," Larry nodded, satisfied. "Nick said that anyone can be nice if they practice."

"That is true!" Jiji giggled. "But, if you were to ask me, I would say that you and your family do not need help with this, yes?" Larry tried to parse this compliment while Nick and Judy stood warmly in the doorway.

"Um, well, here's your bug stuff," Larry said, handing her the bag he was still carrying with a cautious, uneasy face.

"Aw, thank you for your help, Larry," Jiji's smile was pure. "I will see you all soon, yes?"

Judy nodded. "Yes."

* * *

-A Taste of Pawaii-

One month later, Nick and Judy decided to take Larry with them to the Pawaiian restaurant they knew Jiji worked at. Larry was at his usual perch, his arms on one of Nick's shoulders and feet at his back. Nick barely even noticed his weight or paws there anymore, but loved wearing Larry like an accessory. A bearded dragon greeted them politely.

"Welcome to a Taste of Pawaii, fine Pawaiian dining," he started, "I am Giz-mho." He blinked at them. "Ah you do know this is primarily a carnivore eatery?" Larry sniffed around. Nothing particularly said "food" to his nose.

"We'll be okay," Judy smiled.

"Table for two, then?" Giz-mho asked.

"Three, actually," Judy giggled, pointing to Larry, who waved.

"Oh, I see!" Giz-mho hadn't seen such an eclectic family before. "Two adults and one child it is."

"And if you don't mind," Nick started, poking his head up until he saw Jiji. "We'd like her to serve us, the leopard gecko."

"Ah, she is quite popular," Giz-mho nodded. "It will be a few more minutes, then."

"When'm I not gonna be a child anymore?" Larry wondered from atop Nick's shoulder.

"Maybe when you grow out of being the most adorable thing in the universe," Judy said perkily, touching her nose to his.

"So, uh, never?" Nick smirked.

They were seated, and Larry was given a kid's activity sheet and some crayons. Larry was sitting on the table so he wouldn't need a very specific chair. Judy took in how Larry grabbed the green crayon and very carefully started at the outside of the leaves of a palm tree, staying in the lines while he colored it gently. She wondered if this said anything about his personality. Jiji approached.

"Oh, hello!" Jiji said. She was wearing a fetching pink and white Pawaiian dress and matching floral crown. "I did not expect to see you here, yes? This place does not have very much for non-meat eaters..."

Judy giggled. "Yeah, we know; is there anything you _can_ recommend for us silly leaf-eaters, though?"

Jiji thought, tapping her pen to her chin. "Ah, there is a dish we have that is very popular among iguana. It has fresh spinach, thick noodles, herbs and spices, carrots, and a few other things. It tastes good with soy sauce, I have heard."

"Okay then, three of those!" Judy said cheerfully. "Water all around, too, and apple juice for Larry if you have it." Larry liked apple juice, but he didn't know if he liked the sound of his incoming meal. "Oh and please leave off the spicy spices for us." Jiji nodded at all this.

"Your tail is looking great," Nick noted with a smirk.

"Ah, do you like it?" Jiji twirled around slowly and showed off her still quite pink, but now spotted tail. "I will admit, as regrown tails go, it is not so bad, yes?"

"Yeah, looks good to me!" Judy agreed. Jiji gave them a happy smile with her eyes closed and headed off. Soon enough, she returned with their meals.

"I hope you will enjoy, yes?" Jiji said. "Please let me know if there is anything I can do."

Larry looked apprehensive about his food, poking it with a fork.

"Larry," Judy smiled at him, "go ahead and try your food okay? If you don't like it, that's fine, but it's better to try something and not like it than never have tried it at all." Larry looked up at this and nodded. Nick poured a small bit of soy sauce on it for him. He tried a bite, looking quite contemplative as he chewed.

"It's okay, mom," Larry shrugged. Judy froze mid-chew and her eyes widened. He had said it so casually.

 _Mom..._

Judy had thought she had prepared for this moment. She wanted to play it cool and easy to let him know it was no big deal, but she felt suddenly almost panicky with glee. Her eyes started swimming a bit; she stared up at the ceiling while quickly fanning near her face with her hands. Nick grinned at the reaction. Larry was confused.

"Dad... is mom okay?" Larry looked concerned.

Nick flinched. He'd gotten the other barrel. He tried to clear his throat, feeling it tighten uncomfortably.

"W-well buddy," Nick started, "I think your mother might have gotten into some spicy food." His voice cracked uncharacteristically when he said "mother". Judy made a little high-pitched squeal, shutting her eyes and nodding while fanning her face. She reached for her water to complete the story. "And I think I might have, too." He coughed. Judy could feel his tail swishing and touching her hip.

Larry took another, curious bite. "It's not spicy to me! I'm okay."

"You're more than okay," Judy said in a weak, but adoring voice. "You are _wonderful_..."

Larry looked to Nick for clarification, as Judy was staring at him with a face that looked like it was exuding heart-shaped bubbles. "Are you really this proud of me for eating this weird food?"

"S-something like that, sport," Nick said with a wobbly grin. Jiji caught sight of something going on at their table and headed over.

"Is everything okay?" Jiji wondered curiously, her smile small.

"Mom and dad got something spicy and now they're acting funny," Larry explained. The two both stifled ecstatic laughs of joy at hearing him say this. "...Really funny."

Jiji looked shocked. "I told them to use no spice!"

"It's okay, it's okay!" Judy waved her hands. "All gone now, we're completely fine! Just one big... happy family!"

"Mm hm," Nick nodded his agreement. "Must have been just one little thing that got us to act like that..." He was grinning at Larry.

"I have seen this is true, yes?" Jiji's smile was wide as she caught on. "A happy family, and one little thing..." She also looked at Larry.

"What did I do?" Larry asked, his eyes wary. "Am I in trouble?"

"The furthest thing from that, Larry" Nick winked.

Larry sighed in relief, then kept eating. His family could be so weird.

* * *

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment-

Three weeks passed, and Judy was getting home from the store. She barely looked at Nick as she started to put groceries away.

"Honey fox, at Maulgreens they had a buy one get one on these small cricket snacks," Judy began, then thought about what she was saying. "Huh, bogo." She shook her head. "Anyway, I thought it was too good of a deal so I bought them for Jiji. I couldn't get her to answer the door, though, so I just thought I'd tell you in case you're wondering why we have two boxes of crickets." She finally stopped talking and looked up at Nick. Nick was standing in the doorway to Larry's room, his arms folded, a pleased smile on his face, and his tail wagging.

"Oh, I know where Jiji is," Nick said in almost a haze.

"Whaaaat is going on in there?" Judy said suspiciously, curiously holding her head low while trying to look through Nick. Nick spun around and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"It's too dangerous to go in without preparations," Nick said. "It is weapons-grade adorable in there." Judy made a wry face, rolling her eyes. "I'm serious! You're going to get third-degree cute injuries from even looking. So." Nick turned her around, and hooked his arms under hers.

"Nick..." Judy was only slightly exasperated with Nick's antics.

"Okay, deep breath, you ready?" Nick prepared her.

"Ready..." Judy rolled her eyes. Nick spun her around to look inside Larry's room.

Larry was sitting on the bed next to Jiji, a story book laid across both their laps. Larry would take a turn reading a page, then say "your turn!" and wait for Jiji to read. Jiji's words were halting as she read carefully and she looked to Larry for instruction and correction, but would read her page and end with a "yes?" Larry would then respond "uh huh!" Judy's mouth hung agape.

"Oh..." Judy squeaked quietly in adoration. She slumped in Nick's arms, but neither of them knew if it was just Judy playing into Nick's antics or if she really thought it was cute enough for her to be weak at the knees.

"See?" Nick chuckled. "I told ya."


	17. School Partners

-The Wilde-Hopps' Aardvark Rise Apartment, Monday, 7:00 AM-

"Okay, honey, do you have everything? Schedule, supplies, all that?" Judy Wilde-Hopps said as she finished rolling up a brown paper bag with her adopted son's name on it. "Just finished making you lunch." She was already in her police uniform, and Nick Wilde-Hopps was just finishing getting ready as well.

"Yes, mom, I double-checked twice," Larry said, nodding. He slung his backpack over his back, which pushed aside his big, fluffy gray squirrel tail.

"Do you have the phone I gave you for emergencies?" Judy pursued.

Larry slapped his pocket and felt for it. "Yes, mom."

"Okay, it's just, um, your first day of middle school; I hope everything is going to go okay," Judy gave a small, but concerned smile. "A new school, having to go to multiple classes, new classmates..."

"Would it make you feel better if your mother walked you to the bus stop?" Nick asked, tightening the knot in his tie.

"Yes!" Judy replied before Larry could. Larry smirked.

"Sure mom, let's go," Larry nodded, grabbing his lunch from her and putting it away as well.

Judy gave an apologetic sigh as the two walked down into the elevator to get out of Aardvark Rise. "Larry, I'm sorry if you think I'm being smothering or anything. It's just... you haven't been with us for too many years; I feel like your father and I are doing this parenting thing on fast-forward."

"It's okay, mom," Larry smiled. "What, do you think I'm gonna be mad that you care about me?"

"Well I don't know!" Judy admitted. "Next thing I know you're going to be a teenager, and then I don't know how you'll get along with us. I mean, you're already full height; you're practically a grown-up already..." As the elevator chimed for the ground floor, Larry offered his hand to the bunny's. Judy fought a soft adoring sound, but it came out anyway. She took his hand and started to walk with him. "Oh, Larry, I love you..."

"I know," Larry smirked. "Love you too, mom."

* * *

-Middle-Small Middle School, Mr. Weatherbeaver's Homeroom Class, Monday, 7:58 AM-

Larry felt a bit apprehensive as he headed for a seat. He was actually glad he was no longer the shortest animal in class. A lot of mid-sized rodents and mustelids had not attained full height yet. He did, however, walk past a chinchilla seated in the second row that was just about his height and a lot wider. The chinchilla was wearing sunglasses and had a somewhat blank look on. Larry thought he saw him smirk at him. The squirrel took a seat two rows back and a column to the side.

A middle-aged beaver with glasses walked towards the front of the room. "Welcome to Middle-Small Middle School." His voice was a bit stern and flat. "I am Mr. Weatherbeaver, and-" he interrupted himself. "Young chinchilla, glasses do not conform to the dress code. Please remove them." The chinchilla grinned, complying. Larry heard giggling behind him and looked.

There were three mustelid girls sitting in close proximity. A tough-looking white stoat, a gentle-looking honey and white colored ferret with pink glasses and braces, and a somewhat snooty brown weasel.

"All right, simmer down," Mr. Weatherbeaver looked at the girls. "Time to call roll."

Larry listened intently for his own name; he knew it would be close to the last one. He also couldn't help but listen for the names of the others he had noted.

"Chet Chilla?"  
"In attendance!" The chinchilla's somewhat bold voice rang out, popping up his hand, and then bringing it down in a fist pump. Mr. Weatherbeaver rolled his eyes.  
"Heather Mine?"  
"Yo." The stoat's hand went up.  
"Kara Pedshark?"  
"Here!" The ferret's hand went up.  
"Kerry Weaselton?"  
"Uh-huh." The weasel's raised in boredom.  
"Larry Wilde-Hopps." The squirrel was actually the last one to be called out, alphabetically by last name.  
"H-here." Larry nodded, raising his hand slowly.

"All right, class, let's go over some procedures and guidelines for your new life in middle school," Mr. Weatherbeaver said, picking up some paper packets. "You're going to be here for a few years, so get used to it."

* * *

-Middle-Small Middle School, Between Periods, Monday, 9:00 AM-

Larry had his schedule in his hands, trying to carefully but swiftly navigate to his next class.

"Oof!" "Urh!"

Larry wasn't watching his step, and ran straight into Chet, the chinchilla. He wasn't watching either, and his sunglasses clattered to the floor.

"Oops, sorry, squirrel dude!" Chet smirked, bending over and picking up his sunglasses. "Guess I should watch where you're going!"

"Uh, sorry about that," Larry returned timidly. Chet was fluffy so it was hard to tell how much stronger he was than Larry, but he was definitely a lot wider.

"Hey, you're the squirrel from my homeroom!" Chet pointed at him. "I'm Chet. Some people call me... 'the Chilla'." He held his hands out in front of himself and separated them, nodding in what he thought was a smooth move.

"Uh, I'm Larry, Larry Wilde-Hopps," Larry greeted, trying not to meet his gaze.

"Dude, right, the last guy!" Chet nodded. "That is a _sweet_ name. 'Wilde-Hopps'... can you do all those slick squirrel moves and bounce around off trees and stuff?" Chet held his fists up and shuffled his shoulders around. Larry felt a pang of worry; he felt as though he was being made fun of. This feeling only worsened when he looked past him and saw the three girls from earlier together and gossiping.

"Um, I, think my class is quite a ways from here; I should get going," Larry excused himself, walking past him.

"Smash into ya later, Larry!" Chet called after him.

* * *

-Middle-Small Middle School, Lunch Period, Monday, 12:00 PM-

The gray squirrel sat at a table by himself. Larry sighed as he unpacked his homemade lunch, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, some milk, and some fruit snacks. He flinched a bit as he saw those same three girls again, walking by his table.

"We saw you talkin' to Chet," Kerry gave him a judgemental glance. "He's super cool; you should be glad he was even talkin' to you." She was a bit shorter than the other two, but Larry got the sense she was the ringleader.

"Yeah, the Chilla is awesome," Heather nodded, smirking.

Larry looked to Kara for his next admonition, but she just gave a small smile and wave.

"Let's go, ladies," Kerry spun on her heel and the three girls moved off. Larry gave off a sigh of relief. He tried to spot Chet in the lunchroom, and he seemed to be talking to some slightly bigger rodents.

For his part, Larry was just glad to be left alone.

* * *

-The Wilde-Hopps' Aardvark Rise Apartment, Monday, 6:30 PM-

Larry ate dinner with his parents that night. Nick had made some tasty salad wraps, full of fresh tomatoes and carrots, nuts, and with plenty of types of dipping sauces, like ranch, chili, and vinaigrette.

"So, Larry," Judy smiled at him. "How was your day?"

"Find all of your classes okay, buddy?" Nick added.

"Yup, no problems!" Larry grinned, nodding his head, eating a bite.

"Meet any friends?" Judy asked hopefully. She knew he had quite a bit of difficulty making friends in elementary school.

"Not exactly?" Larry tilted his head. Nick looked curious.

"Go on...?" The fox encouraged.

"There was this chinchilla I bumped into in the hall, I think he was making fun of me, my last name," Larry's mouth shut and he twisted it.

"Oh, I see," Judy seemed a bit upset.

"Then these three girls, a weasel, a stoat, and a ferret, talked to me at lunch and told me how cool he was," Larry shrugged.

"Ugh, a clique," Nick shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Here's something you're going to need to remember, Larry. A _person_ is smart. _people_ are stupid."

Judy made a scoff. "Nicholas! That's not very nice."

"S'the truth, though," Nick took a big bite and swallowed it. "I know this wildebeest who's a physics professor at college. Super smart. But when he's with all his buddies, I couldn't pick him out. Dumbs himself down for his pals. All I'm saying is, it's group psychology. People will do the wrong thing to be accepted by the crowd. That's how things like hate rallies work-"

"Woah okay, let's not fly off the rails here," Judy held her hands up in caution. "I guess your father is just trying to say be careful of that clique?"

"Sure, mom, I will, thanks dad," Larry nodded, dipping his next small wrap into the ranch sauce.

* * *

-Middle-Small Middle School, Ms. Tideaway's Language Arts Class, Wednesday, 11:07 AM-

"All right, students, settle down," a somewhat nice-seeming sea otter named Ms. Tideaway said, smiling. Her face stood out because of the lighter fur around it compared to the rest of her body. "Since it is quite early in the year, we will be doing a small group exercise so you might get to know one of your classmates a bit better. I will be handing each pair a sheet of words I do not expect you to know. One will call out the word, the other will read them the definition and then their partner will write it down. Then, you will switch."

Larry nodded at the instruction. He looked around in this class, seeing a bunch of animals that looked fairly friendly that he wouldn't mind pairing up with. But Chet and Kerry were also there.

"Larry and Chet, you two will be partners," Larry finally heard the teacher say. The squirrel sighed through his teeth and his eyes moved to Chet. Chet gave a flinch of amusement, looked at Larry, and clicked his teeth twice, making finger-guns at him.

As they got together, Chet pushed the dictionary over to Larry. "Okay squirrel dude, you look up the first one." Larry didn't resist, but feared he'd end up looking up _all_ of them. Chet looked over the paper. "Oh, what? This one is easy." He wrote down on the paper. "This one, too." More writing. "Jeez, do they think we're in kindergarten!?"

Larry blinked. They finished their assignment in no time. Larry barely had to help; he looked up three words out of the fifteen, and he had to ask for the definition of all of the ones where he had the paper. Chet's handwriting was even better than his, and he thought his was pretty careful. There was still a lot of time allotted for the assignment.

"Man, those were baby words, right?" Chet laughed. Larry gave a nervous chuckle. "I need hard ones. Like, you know what my favorite word is?" Larry shook his head. "Portmanteau!"

"What the heck does _that_ mean?" Larry wondered.

"It's a cool word for a cool thing!" Chet nodded. "That's when you take one word and smash it into another one!" He nodded over at Kerry. "Y'see her? Know what I'd call it if I knew she liked to be hugged?" Chet shook his head. "A squeasel! Squeeze plus weasel!" Larry was a bit amused, but also confused.

"So you like words?" Larry asked without thinking.

"For sure, dude!" Chet said cheerfully, then lowered his voice. "Uh, don't tell anyone I said that. Or this: I like reading. Like, sci-fi and fantasy and stuff."

"Really?" Larry was getting more and more surprised.

"Yeah!" Chet chuckled. "I mean, cartoons are whatever and stuff, but with books you get to imagine all the scenarios yourself! What are _you_ into?"

"I kinda like video games? Kicking a ball around?" Larry shrugged.

"That's cool bro, that's cool!" Chet grinned. Larry smiled softly as well.

* * *

-Middle-Small Middle School, Lunch Period, Wednesday, 12:00 PM-

Chet approached Larry at lunch that day with a tray of cafeteria food.

"Hey, this seat taken?" Chet grinned. Larry shook his head, and Chet sat next to him. He looked over at Larry. "Your mom make your lunch for you?" Larry's eyes looked away. He wondered if he wasn't just having an elaborate ruse pulled on him to be bullied. His eyes caught sight of the three mustelids looking at the two and he felt nervous. He scooted away slightly.

"Uh, yeah..." Larry said in a dry voice, eating a bite of his sandwich.

"Nice!" Chet said and Larry's eyes widened. "I wish _my_ mom made me lunch. This cafeteria food is gross, haha! Tastes like it's a week old, and we haven't even been in school that long!"

Larry's eyes shifted around. Chet was quite a strange chinchilla, to him.

"Yo, doesn't it kinda suck that we don't have recess anymore?" Chet laughed.

"Yeah," Larry admitted. "It was nice to run around."

"Right!?" Chet nodded enthusiastically. "Rodents like us _need_ that stuff!"

Larry gave a skeptical look to Chet. "You like running around and stuff?"

"Oh c'mon, is it cause I'm a chinchilla?" Chet laughed. "All of us chinchillas are this fluffy. But we've got _moves_. Chillas are like ninjas! In fact, I was thinking of organizing a meet up after school today where some of us get together and do some tricks and moves and all!"

"Really?" Larry narrowed his eyes. "Who's gonna be there?"

"Well me, and a couple of other rodent guys, and," he nodded over to the three mustelids. "The girls. I know them from elementary. You know..." He clicked his teeth and wiggled his eyebrows. "The muste _ladies_."

Larry felt a laugh burst out at that. "Uh, that kinda sounds fun?"

"Dude, come with us then!" Chet gently pushed Larry on the shoulder.

A corner of Larry's mouth went up. His parents would be working until about dinner time. He was supposed to go to his next-door neighbor Jiji's place instead for a few hours. He felt like he could get away with it, if Jiji didn't know exactly what time school got out.

"Sure! Uh, maybe just for an hour or something," Larry nodded.

"Yeah, that's perfect! We're gonna meet up in Mezzo Park, near the eastern area with a lot of trees."

"I'll be there," Larry nodded.

"Nice!" Chet offered Larry a fist bump, which he accepted.

* * *

-Eastern Mezzo Park, Wednesday, 4:18 PM-

"All right, _I'm_ goin' first! Ladies first!" Kerry said to all the kids gathered there at the park, flicking her twists to shoo everyone away from her. "Check out my Weasel Walk!" She flipped over, walking on her hands, her slinky body curving in front of her in a crescent. She kept going as far as she could, then let her lower body touch the floor and flipped upright, holding her arms out.

"Nice!" Chet nodded, giving a fist pump. Larry clapped.

Kara stepped forward, putting her glasses away. "Well, I'm not too good at this yet, but I've been practicing 'the dance of my people'." She held her paws over her head and energetically bounded this way and that, slinking her body back and forth as she bounced. Larry was captivated. It looked somewhere between silly and pretty. She gave a sheepish smile as she stopped.

"Ooh, that's the ferret 'War Dance', isn't it?" Chet folded his arms, nodding. Larry clapped again, slower this time because he was in a bit of a daze.

"Okay, back off you two," Heather pushed Kerry and Kara aside and got herself some room. "Time to show you some _real_ mustelid moves. This is the Ermine Cartwheel!" Heather started flipping backwards repeatedly, her paws pushing off the ground until she looked like a white loop, chasing her own black-tipped frayed tail. Larry's jaw dropped. She finally leaped up and landed on her feet, folding her arms smugly.

"Woah, you got the moves, Heather!" Chet pointed at her with both forefingers.

"Totes McStoats!" Heather responded confidently, pushing her chin up once and folding her arms.

"Awright, its MY turn!" Chet exulted. "Time for the Chilla Thrilla!" Chet ran forward, towards a tree. He ran up the tree with just his feet until he started to slow, then bounced off the tree with a double back flip, landing smoothly.

The girls started cheering wildly. "Yeah, the Chilla!" "Go, Chet! Go, Chet!" "Woo!"

"Woah, that was really cool!" Larry said, and offered a high five to Chet. Chet took it and shook his hand while the two's paws were together.

"You wanna go, squirrel bro?" Chet said, panting a bit.

"Uh..." Larry hesitated.

"Dude, it's okay if you don't," Chet shook his head. Larry looked skeptical. "No bro, I'm not trying to psyche you out or anything, it's cool!"

"Maybe I'll do something easy?" Larry wondered.

"Go for it! Whatever you feel inside that squirrel soul!" Chet seemed quite psyched. Larry scampered up to a different tree, clambering up the whole length, then smoothly arcing around and using his specialized feet to scurry back down with his head facing the ground. He halted a few feet from the ground and launched off, landing on his feet.

"Whoa, cool!" Kara said, clapping. "You're like spider-squirrel!" Kerry gave a tiny smirk.

"Eh," Heather shook her head and shrugged. "Got anything else?"

"Dude, Heather, lay off," Chet finally looked displeased. "It's his first go. That was sweet stuff, Larry, real smooth."

Larry's mouth twisted. "Uh, I got one more trick I know. Can I try again?"

"Sure!" Chet said, and no one disagreed. Larry balled his fists and psyched himself up, taking a deep breath. He ran about halfway up the tree again, then started scurrying around its circumference, faster and faster. Then, he launched off, spiraling through the air in a swirling disc of gray fur and tail, and landed on all fours in the midst of his onlookers, who backed off. He tried striking what he hoped was a cool pose, trying not to wince.

There was a moment of silence that stabbed at Larry. The eyes of the onlookers were wide. Then, almost at once, they all started cheering for him. Larry felt his heart leap up in excitement.

"That. Was. _SICK_!" Chet enunciated in excitement, scrunching his knees and balling his fists. "Dude! Lares! Wish I had a phone so I could've _recorded_ that! What do you _call_ it?"

"Uh, it doesn't have a name," Larry said, dusting himself off. He looked sheepishly at the girls, who looked enthralled. Even Heather seemed impressed, nodding. Larry felt really good at that moment.

"We gotta give it one!" Chet insisted, thinking. "Uh, how about the SQ-Whirl!?"

"Oh, that's pretty cool!" Larry nodded, smiling.

" _You're_ pretty cool, squirrel bro!" Chet pushed Larry in a friendly way.

Larry giggled as his body rocked from the shove. "Thanks, Chet!"

* * *

-Aarvark Rise, the Wilde-Hopps and Jiji's Floor, Wednesday 6:12 PM-

"Thank you so much for looking after Larry this afternoon, Jiji," Judy said gratefully to her leopard gecko neighbor. Larry was in quite high spirits as he greeted his parents.

"It is no trouble at all, yes?" Jiji grinned, giving a little bow. "I will soon be leaving for the evening shift."

"Hey mom! Dad!" He launched up to hug Nick, then sprang onto Judy's back.

"Woah! Hey there, sport," Nick chuckled. Nick saw Jiji's eyes change shape slightly and gave her his attention, pausing before fulling turning away. Judy headed off to their apartment with Larry on her back.

"We didn't feel like cooking tonight so we brought home some fast food," Judy told Larry.

"That's fine!" Larry said.

"Can I speak with you briefly?" Jiji asked quietly in reptilian. Nick nodded and closed the door behind him and Jiji.

"I... you know I do not wish to cause any trouble at all, yes?" Jiji started timidly. "But Larry came to my place an hour later than Judy had said. I... did not ask him where he had gone."

Nick nodded with a small smile. "Thanks for telling me, Jiji. And thanks again for looking out for the little guy."

"Any time I am able, yes?" Jiji nodded with her bright smile.

The Wilde-Hopps' sat down to dinner with their sandwiches from "Cheesy and Nuts", a vegetarian fast food joint whose mascot was a deranged-looking cartoon mouse. The burgers had a layer of sliced almonds on the bottom of the bun and lettuce, tomato, and two types of cheeses.

"So," Nick said casually between bites, "where'd you go after school?"

"Uh..." Larry trailed off. Judy blinked.

"Where'd you _go_? Where _did_ you go...?" She asked.

"I went to the park!" Larry smiled as he told the truth. His voice was still a bit high though.

"Okay," Nick nodded. "Why?"

"Uh... to burn off a little steam!" Larry smiled nervously. "You know us squirrels, we have a ton of energy and stuff!"

"By yourself, though?" Judy seemed worried.

"No I was with uh, a lot of kids from school," Larry finally admitted. "We were doing a... uh, trick meet, or something."

"A trick meet?" Judy repeated. "I don't know if I like that sound of that."

Nick seemed less concerned. "Oh come on, Judy, you were doing side-flips when you were nine. I was _hustling_ at his age."

"Not that you should be proud of that," Judy had a tired smirk, then sternly looked at Larry. "You are _not_ to do anything dangerous, do you hear me?"

"I'm not, mom!" Larry insisted. "I only did the tricks I already know, like the SQ-Whirl." Both of his parents looked confused, then Nick brightened in understanding, holding a finger up.

"Oh, is that the one where you... whoooosh..." Nick spun a finger around in circles. "Then nyeoooww..." He moved the whirling finger in an arc. "Then pppfft." He made a "boo" gesture to simulate the landing.

"Wow, I sure have one articulate fox," Judy rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Yeah, that's it," Larry nodded, then added with a bit of anxiousness, "all the kids thought it was so cool! I felt super excited when I showed it off!"

"Just be careful, Larry," Judy said seriously. "What's cool one day is lame the next. They might try to get you to do something dangerous, as a dare."

"Yeah," Nick agreed. "I'm okay with you going, but _don't_ let them pressure you."

"I won't!" Larry said. "I'll scale it back; I won't do anything more dangerous than the SQ-Whirl! _Please_ can I go again?"

"...Okay," Judy agreed. "Nick, if he hurts himself, I'm going to beat you up."

"What? Me!?" Nick laughed. "You just gave him permission! Okay Larry, don't get hurt, for both of our sake, okay?"

"I won't!" Larry promised.

* * *

-Eastern Mezzo Park, Friday, 4:26 PM-

"Your turn next, Lares!" Chet said to him. Larry nodded, smiling, heading between two close-together trees.

"I'm gonna call this one the Squall Jump!" Larry shouted. Chet realized this was a word mash up and looked impressed. Larry jumped up onto a tree and quickly bounded between one and the other all the way up to the top, then started sliding down, adding a couple more hops between trees as he was going down. Larry was panting from the exertion as he landed.

Chet shook his head, marveling and clapping. "Really cool, Lares! I love it!"

"Hmph," Heather folded her arms, but she was smirking. "I bet I could do that."

"Speaking of Larry's tricks..." Chet started, "I wanna try the SQ-Whirl! Whatcha think, Larry?"

"Sure!" Larry offered. "Go for it! I don't have a patent on it or anything." Chet laughed.

"All right, squirrel bro, stand back!" Chet headed up a tree and started to spin around its circumference. His tail was long, but not as wide as Larry's, and his wider structure made it not as easy for him to keep up speed. Before he launched, he lost balance. "Woah...!" He tumbled to the ground, landing hard on his right foot.

"Ugh!" Chet grunted in pain. All of the onlookers gasped.

"Chet! Chet are you okay!" Larry worriedly rushed over to him.

"Yeah buddy, no problem!" Chet gave an exhale of amusement, getting to his feet carefully. "Just gonna walk it- AUGH!" He winced as he tried to put pressure on his right foot.

"No!" Larry held his hands out. "S-sit down, don't move!"

Kerry started walking backwards. "Uhh, isn't it about time for the meet to be over? I can't be late getting home, my dad would freak if he knew I was here." She headed off.

Kara winced apologetically, but started backing off as well. "Yeah, mine too, I'm not really supposed to be here..." She headed off in shame.

The other rodents scattered. Heather was the last one left. Larry gave her a stern look. Heather winced, but fled as well.

"What's wrong with you!?" Larry's voice was louder and more indignant than he had ever heard it. "You're just going to _leave_ him!?"

"Yo, chill Lares, its okay," Chet chuckled. "Just a little foot sprain probably. I just need to hobble over to the subway and I'll be fine."

"No, stay there!" Larry said firmly. He picked out his phone and called his father.

"Yo, wish I had a phone!" Chet laughed again, but cringed in pain as Larry turned his head away to focus.

"Hey Larry, what's up?" Nick's voice came over the phone.

"Dad, I need you to call an ambulance to eastern Mezzo park!" Larry said hurriedly.

Nick's eyes flew open and darted to Judy. He knew he had to measure his response or she'd probably crash the cruiser. "Um, are you okay?" Judy's eyes widened anyway.

"Yes! But my friend, he hurt his foot real bad!" Larry went on, biting his lip.

"Okay, you just hang tight there, all right? Keep him company," Nick nodded.

"Okay!" Larry nodded and hung up.

"Lares, it's okay, really..." Chet smirked.

"Quiet, Chet!" Larry was upset. "You got hurt cause of me, so I'm gonna help fix it! Don't move; what if your foots broken!?"

"Dude it's okay Lares, don't worry... it's not your fault..." Chet chuckled weakly.

"It is, so just sit there and shut up, okay!?" Larry was trying not to cry.

"All right, Lares..." Chet was still smiling at him.

* * *

-Zootopia Mercy General Hospital, Pediatric Ward, Saturday, 12:30 PM-

"Are you sure you want to go see Chet, Larry?" Judy winced at the hospital's entrance. "I know you and hospitals don't exactly... you know..."

"I gotta go see him," Larry shook his head. "He tried to do the SQ-Whirl and got hurt."

"That's his own fault then, Larry," Nick said gently.

"No! I encouraged him!" Larry's teeth clenched. "I'm going!" He rushed into the hospital, followed by his parents, who were in uniform that day for a function they had gone to in the morning.

Nick's arms were held behind him as they entered the hospital room. He gave a tiny gasp. His voice was a small whisper. "He's a c-chinchilla!? S-so fluffy..."

"Don't. Start," Judy hissed at him dangerously.

"Woah, Lares, what's goin' on?" Chet laughed at him. His foot was indeed broken; it had been set. "Never had a classmate visit me at the hospital before."

"You've been in here before?" Larry said cautiously.

"Oh yeah!" Chet chuckled. "All the time!" He rotated his arm. "Broke my arm once, but I still got full range of motion. This foot fracture is nothing. Chinchillas break their bones all over the place; we heal right up!" He paused. "Uh, what are you doing with the cops, Lares? You didn't get arrested, did you?"

"Oh!" Larry laughed. "No, these are my parents."

"Really?" Chet seemed surprised. "A fox and a rabbit? Hey, that's cool, bro! Never seen such a diverse family before!"

"Uh, I got you something, Chet," Larry said, nodding to Nick. Nick offered him a small brown package which he took, then carefully jumped on the left side of Chet's bed to offer it.

"Whaaaat? A present?" Chet brightened up. He eagerly tore it open. It was a book with a nice hard cover. "Yo! Galactic Invader T! This is about this huge crazy space creature that can adapt to anything, and we puny Earthlings have gotta stop 'im!"

"Oh, you uh, haven't already read it, have you?" Larry seemed disappointed.

"No dude, but it's got good reviews, I was saving up my allowance for a new book and this was on my hit list," Chet nodded. "Thanks, Lares!"

"You're welcome," Larry smiled in shame. "I feel kind of responsible for this, egging you on to do my trick..."

"Pff, not even, bro," Chet shook his head. "I shoulda known that trick was too high-class for the Chilla. But I can do wall jumps like no one's business. When I get outta here, I'm gonna do the Squall Jump, you'll see!"

"Hopefully your foot heals up well enough that you can..." Larry bit his lip.

"Yeah! Like I said, no problem there," Chet was absolutely confident. "Thanks for giving me something to read while it does!"

Larry seemed happy, and so did his parents at seeing the unusual but cheerful chinchilla. They were glad Larry seemed to have made a friend. A white chinchilla female entered the room and Chet's mood took a small dip.

"H-hey mom!" Chet grinned weakly, and hid his book beneath his pillow suddenly. Larry looked excitedly towards the white chinchilla. Her mood was even.

"The police?" She inquired. "I'm Rinn Chilla, Chet's mother. Is anything the matter?"

"Oh no, we're just Larry's parents, Chet's friend," Judy smiled and nodded.

"I see," Rinn said, "then would you please excuse my son and I?"

"Oh, of course, ma'am," Nick said. "C'mon, Larry."

"See ya, Chet!" Larry waved.

"Yeah, see you at school soon!" Chet nodded. As they left, they closed the door. But almost immediately, Judy's ears twitched as she and only she heard yelling coming from the other side.

"So you've managed to break another bone, huh, Chet!? You know I can barely afford these insurance co-pays! You were doing those idiotic tricks again, weren't you? What am I going to have to do to you to get you to stop this foolishness!? Look at me when I'm talking to you! If you really need to burn off all that energy, maybe we should get you a treadmill, huh? Lose some of that fluff! You just wanted to skip school again, didn't you, slacker? Stop crying, you big baby! You're twelve!"

Judy bit her lip as the three moved away. Larry noticed his mother's face.

"Mom, what's wrong?" He asked.

"Oh, it's uh..." Judy hesitated.

"Mom? Mom!?" Larry was insistent, hugging onto her leg to slow her down. Judy stopped and sighed.

"Gee, I wonder where Larry learned pressing to get information from?" Nick chuckled. "Just tell him the truth."

"Uh, Chet's mom was um, yelling at him."

"What!?" Larry was shocked. "Th-that's not fair! It was my fault! I need to stop her!" Nick's eyes widened and he put his hands around Larry before he took off. "What!? Let me go!" Larry thrashed a bit.

"Easy, Larry," Nick frowned. "Her... her parenting style is none of our business."

"It's not fair!" Larry seemed like he might cry.

"I know, little squirrel," Nick smiled sadly. "She might just be yelling because she's worried. I think I know someone who might do the same thing if HER little squirrel got hurt."

Judy laughed nervously. "Um, if it's any consolation, she's not yelling anymore?"

Larry's mouth twisted. He stopped struggling. He didn't know what to say anymore.

Nick just cuddled him in his arms and started walking away with Judy. "C'mon big guy, let's get you home."

* * *

-Middle-Small Middle School, Mr. Weatherbeaver's Homeroom Class, Monday, 7:55 AM-

The following Monday, Larry gasped slightly as he saw Chet return to class in a cast and crutches. He walked toward Chet.

"Chet!" Larry said. "How are you doing?"

"I'm great, Lares!" Chet smiled. He made his way over to his desk and sighed. Larry took his crutches and gently set them down, and Chet removed his backpack. "It's a lot of work, but its GREAT for upper body strength! I'm gonna be break dancing like crazy once I heal up!"

"I still feel responsible for this," Larry said apologetically.

"No dude, you're cool! I'm okay," Chet chuckled, his voice lowering a little. "The SQ-Whirl is off limits for me. Sometimes it takes a good pounding to get something into the Chilla's head."

"I um, I kinda meant what happened with your mot-" Larry started.

"Yo!" Chet loudly interrupted, going into his backpack. Larry was pretty sure he saw the book he gave Chet in there. He withdrew a bunch of markers. "What's your favorite color, Lares?"

"Uh, blue, I guess," Larry pointed.

"Dude, sign my cast!" Chet grinned.

"Um, okay," Larry agreed, picking out the blue marker. The cast was blank; Larry was going to be the first to sign it. He tried to sign small, as he knew the "musteladies" would probably be signing it as well. Larry thought he heard Chet's breath catching as he wrote. "I'm hurting you!"

"No dude, not at all!" Chet insisted, his voice sounding somewhat wrong. Larry was very unconvinced, staring up at Chet. "Dude, I swear you're not hurting me." Chet took out his sunglasses and put them on. Larry finished and offered the marker back. "Yo, it's so bright in the morning, a-am I right?"

"Yeah, it is," Larry said evenly. "...I don't suppose you'd still wanna have lunch with me?"

"Y-yeah, man!" Chet gave a wobbly smile. "Just don't sit too far away from the door, all aright? I'm probably gonna be ready to drop at the end of the day!"

"Of course, I'll sit right next to the door!" Larry offered his fist, and Chet softly bumped it.

"Thanks, see you there, brody," Chet said weakly.

"Brody?" Larry's eyebrow cocked.

"You know, you're like my bro and buddy. Brody," Chet gave a shaky sigh. Larry nodded and grinned.

"See you at lunch, Chet," Larry waved, getting to his seat.

Mr. Weatherbeaver sighed as he sat down to start class. "Mister Chilla, we have discussed this. Please remove your sunglasses."

Larry shot him a concerned look as he did, but Chet had managed to calm down. Larry sighed in relief and was smiling at him.

Chet turned and smiled back, aiming a finger gun at him and clicking his teeth once.


	18. Partners at Odds

-Middle-Small Middle School, Between Periods-

Chet Chilla walked through the hallway to his next class, his sunglasses resting on his face. He had his usual tiny, easy grin on. He turned his head slightly to click his teeth at a marmot he knew, and then-

"Ugh!"  
"Augh!"

He ran straight into Heather Mine, a white stoat that was one of his better friends. She glared at him and bared her teeth as he picked himself up.

"Oops, guess I should have watched where you're going, Heth," Chet wiggled his brow, offering his hand to help Heather up.

"Don't 'Heth' me, Chet!" Heather smacked his hand away. "You and those cool glasses of yours!" Heather got to her feet. Chet took off his glasses and put them away, his eyes confused. There was an intensity to Heather's expression that he'd never seen on her before. Her slinky body hunched forward a bit and her fists clenched and released a few times.

"I-I'm sorry, Heather, I didn't mean to-" Chet started.

"I want you..." Heather panted in fury, "to FIGHT me!"

Before Chet could protest, Heather leaped for Chet and tackled him to the ground. Kids all through the hall gasped.

"Fight! It's a fight!"  
"Heather's on Chet!"  
"Who's winning?"  
"Chet's not fighting back!"

Heather punched at Chet over and over, and Chet, letting loose yelps of pain, did his best to block her blows. Several landed on him, and Chet's teeth clenched. Heather looked furious, even though Chet wasn't fighting back.

"Hit her! Show that pred!"

Chet didn't know if that was another kid or his internal voice. Even though he was a prey, he exercised and did trick routines often. It would have been extremely easy to get caught up in the fight and hit her back. He was sure he could do it. He was sure he could beat her. Heather drew back her right fist for another blow.

"Rgh!"

Chets hand clasped over Heather's fist and gripped it. Her left fist shot out but it wasn't her dominant paw; Chet gripped it as well. Chet grunted, his teeth showing as he kept tight hold on the vibrating hands, trying to keep them still. Heather bared her sharp, stoat teeth.

"Heather!" Chet shouted in alarm. It looked like she would lunge.

"Yes, that's quite enough, young lady," an irritated-looking male sea otter administrator said, grabbing Heather by the neck and midsection and dragging her back. "Both of you, we're going to the principal's office." Heather's body flailed in anger, but the large sea otter held her fast.

Chet snapped on his sunglasses and tried to keep an even expression as gossip and stares were aimed at the two kids as they headed off.

* * *

-Middle-Small Middle School, Lunch Period-

The next day, Chet sat down alone at lunch. He look off his sunglasses and stared blankly at the bland-looking cafeteria food on the tray before him.

"Chet!" The voice of Larry Wilde-Hopps called out to the chinchilla. Chet looked up to see the gray squirrel quickly sit next to him. "Chet, what happened!?"

"Well, you saw the video the kids took, right?" Chet grumbled. "I got into a fight with Heather."

"Yeah but, it just showed the fight," Larry said nervously, unpacking his lunch his mother made him, "what started it?"

"Eh, I ran into her, Lares," Chet barely grinned, "sound familiar?" Larry gave a nervous laugh. That was how he had been "formally" introduced to Chet.

"Oh, and she just attacked you right after?" Larry's eyes squinted. "That sounds a bit extreme, even for her."

Chet sat still for several seconds. His face was blank. "It was like, I wanted to run into her. Wanted to just... y'know, give her a little something to think about. You know what a... you know how she is. She's mean and rough. Thought she should get a feel of that for a change." Larry listened to this, unbelieving. There was something off about Chet's voice.

Larry's eyes widened. "Chet that... that's not like you."

"Yeah, well maybe it is, huh?" Chet tugged at his coat. "We've barely known each other for half a school year, and Heather's known me a lot longer. So, who do you think knows more, huh?"

Larry didn't respond. He started eating his sandwich.

"How d'you think the Chilla got to be the boss of all of us, right?" Chet put on his sunglasses. "Not by being soft, I'll tell you that. Anyway, see you later, Lares. I got some stuff to do." Chet adjusted his coat again and walked out of the lunchroom; his food barely touched.

Larry didn't pursue him. He didn't know what was going on, or what he could do.

* * *

-The Wilde-Hopps' Aardvark Rise Apartment-

"Jeez, mom, again?" Larry groaned as he lost to his mother in a round of Super Bash Bunnies.

"Oh, did I win?" Judy's voice had a teasing, mocking edge as she leaned her head over towards Larry, her bunny ears lolling.

"Can we put items back on?" Larry asked. "Dad always lets me play with items on."

"That's because your father is a... coward!" Judy said loudly.

"Heard that," Nick muttered from elsewhere in the apartment. Larry stifled a laugh.

"Larry, you see," Judy tapped Larry on the shoulder. "You have to earn your own victories. You can't expect something to just randomly fall into your lap that will give you the upper hand! It's like that in real life, too, you know! I had to work really hard to get where I am today."

"Yeah but," Larry cocked an eyebrow, "this is just... a video game." Judy laughed, grinning widely.

"I guess you're right, Larry," Judy shook her head, opening the options menu. "We can play some rounds with items on. But don't think that's going to help you too much against me!" Larry's expression started to grow distant. Judy's softened a bit. "Am I teasing you too much, Larry?" She smiled in apology.

"No no, it's just, I was thinking about Chet," Larry admitted. "He got into a fight with Heather, and-"

"He got into a _fight_?" Judy was immediately concerned. Larry nodded and pulled out his phone.

"Yeah, one of the kids in my math class showed this to me," Larry pulled up the video and Judy squinted her eyes to see it on the small, squirrel-sized phone.

"O-oh, he's not fighting back," Judy tilted her head, somewhat surprised.

"Yeah, but he said he started the fight," Larry shook his head, "I don't believe him."

"You think he was lying to you?" Judy wondered.

"Yeah, he was acting a bit funny at lunch today, and his voice got a little weird," Larry explained.

"Oh, just like you, poor kid," Judy smirked, smooching his forehead, "you can never get away with lying either. Your voice gets so high. I think you got that from me, not that I mind too much!"

Larry gave a wry laugh, then his expression melted back down to a slight frown. "Why do you think he's lying to me about this?"

"People lie for all sorts of reasons, Larry," Judy sighed. "Most of the time, it's to protect themselves. But... with Chet, I don't know. He could be doing it for another reason. Maybe to protect someone else."

"Heather?" Larry was confused. "I mean, Chet's a nice guy, do you think it was _her_ fault...?"

"Could be," Judy shrugged. "In any case, in situations that are delicate like this, you should be cautious. I know you love to know the truth about everything, and I admire that about you, but you might want to let it be. If you push too hard in a situation, you might find it getting away from you and out of your control. Chet might get angry at you if you keep pressing him."

"Okay, I'll leave it alone," Larry nodded.

* * *

-Middle-Small Middle School, Bus Loop-

Heather Mine had finished her ten-day suspension, and the day she returned to school, she approached Chet as he was looking to get on his school bus to go home. Chet flinched as he saw her.

"Hey, Heather," Chet called out flatly.

"I'm sorry, Chet," Heather said evenly.

"Huh?" Chet cocked an eyebrow. "For what, the fight? Naw, Heather, I started it."

"What?" Heather was incredulous. "No, you didn't."

Chet's teeth started to show, but he swallowed his expression and just frowned. "I totally did. I wanted to push you down and see you at my feet. Show you who was boss for a change, huh? You're so... mean sometimes, Heather! I wanted you to get a taste of how that feels." Chet was sneering.

Heather looked absolutely nonplussed. "You did not, you liar."

Chet blinked as his explanation totally missed its mark.

"You want to know why I got into a fight with you?" Heather gave the tiniest of smirks, folding her arms. Chet didn't respond. He flinched as Heather drew closer and started whispering into his ear. Chet's pupils shrank.

"O-oh..." Chet said distantly. "Okay."

"So, that means it won't happen again," Heather nodded, then smirked. "At least, not for that reason anyway."

"Wow, I kinda can't believe you told me that, Heth," Chet blinked.

"You know me, Chet, I'm always straightforward," Heather gave a smug look. "And I know _you_. You wouldn't have started that fight in a million years. You couldn't hurt me. You don't have the guts. You don't have the guts to hurt anyone."

Chet felt as if she had hit him in the stomach again, but this time, with her words. "I hope you're right about that. The Chilla ain't perfect, you know. Sometimes he might need a good smack or two." Heather shook her head in distaste.

"And you should know why you're like, the leader of our little gang," Heather pursued. "Don't you? You have that, uh... what's that word that means something to get people to like you...?" She made beckoning gestures with her hands.

"Charisma?" Chet offered, smirking and standing up proudly.

"Yeah, I think that was it," Heather chuckled. "Anyway, I hope I don't need to tell you not to tell anyone else about why I attacked you that day."

"Nope, definitely not," Chet said nervously, then he grinned a bit. "Hey, since you did attack me then, does that mean-"

"No, and don't say another word about it," Heather smirked dangerously.

"Got it!" Chet laughed, heading for his bus.

* * *

-Tiny-Turbo Indoor Go-Karting-

Nick and Judy watched Larry and Chet running a few laps in their small go-karts. Both of the kids seemed to be having fun, and Nick was surprised that it looked like Larry was the more aggressive driver, even pushing Chet's car out of the way once to get ahead, and cornering tightly. At the end of the experience though, it looked like both boys were laughing.

"Shame we're too big to get on the course," Judy grinned. "I'd tear it up."

"Oh, I know," Nick grinned nodding. He flipped through his phone at some of the video he'd managed to capture of the two driving, just to confirm it was there. Larry and Chet removed their helmets, heading over to the former's parents.

"That was _so_ fun, Lares," Chet exulted, and Larry nodded rapidly. "Thank you for taking us out for this, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde-Hopps!"

"No trouble at all, Chet," Nick grinned.

"Hey uh, I heard from Heather that you two made up?" Larry asked Chet.

"Oh yeah, we're good now, brody," Chet nodded with his eyes closed.

There was a small pause as they returned their gear. "You didn't actually start the fight, did you?" Larry looked at Chet, his voice slightly accusing. Judy held a finger up and her mouth opened, but she didn't say anything.

"Nah," Chet grinned. "I had almost managed to convince myself I did, but naw. It was an accident on all accounts. Heather was just a bit high-strung that day, that's all." All three of the Wilde-Hopps seemed to breathe a small sigh of relief.

"That's good to know," Larry said, then added more after a short time. "I'm... glad you didn't actually _want_ to hurt her."

Chet's smile vanished. "Yeah. ...Listen, brody. If I ever _do_ hurt someone on purpose, especially you, I want you to stop being friends with me."

"W-wuh?" Larry chirped in surprise.

"Cause if I did, I wouldn't... deserve to be your friend," Chet said lowly. Larry gasped a little.

"Woah, uh hey, guys!" Nick waved his hands, his fox ears flattening. "That's enough of this heavy stuff, huh? C'mon, we still got some time left in the afternoon, don't we? How about... we go get some ice cream?"

"Ice cream sounds great!" Judy nodded, also wishing to lower the tension of the situation.

"What!? Ice cream? Sweet!" Chet agreed. "What's your favorite flavor, Lares? Mine's cookie dough!"

"Uh, I actually am not that sure yet," Larry chuckled. "I think I get a different flavor every time I go."

"That might be my fault," Judy giggled. "I'm always telling him to 'try everything'."

Larry held up his fist. "You're a cool guy, Chet. You're my buddy and bro, too, 'brody'. Glad we're all still friends."

Chet gave a small sigh, then fist bumped him firmly. "Yeah, Lares. Me too. I'm real glad."


	19. Separated Partners

-Zootopia Central Train Station, 8:45 AM, Sunday-

Judy Wilde-Hopps looked longingly back at her husband Nick and adopted son Larry as she prepared to leave on the train to Bunnyburrow. The gray bunny hesitated, setting her suitcase back down and heading over to them.

"Only a week, right?" The fox said to her, smirking.

"Mm, only a week," Judy said, nodding. "I just don't know if I was the right person to choose for this; touring a few Bunnyburrow schools and giving speeches about becoming a police officer. Y-you know I'm not super great at speeches." Nick's eyes widened.

"Uh, no," Nick said, placing his arms on her shoulders. "You are _amazing_ at speeches. You gave the most inspiring speech of my life. What you're _not_ good at is improv."

Judy laughed nervously. "Yeah, improvisation, you're right..." He and Judy hugged. Then, Judy turned to hug Larry. The gray squirrel only came up to her waist, but instead of crouch down for a hug, Larry preferred to jump right on her front, so he did. "Hey, Larry. You be good while I'm gone, okay?"

"You can still MuzzleTime me, right?" Larry tilted his head.

"Oh, of course!" Judy set him down, nodding, and gave a small sigh. "Well, I better go. Bye, my sweet boys." She leaned over to kiss Larry on the forehead and gave Nick a soft smooch on his muzzle. They all waved as she headed off into her train.

Nick gave a tiny, wry smile as he headed off with Larry. "Oof. Parents kissing. That's rough, huh? Sorry you had to see that, Lare-bear."

"What, do you think I'm one of those thirteen-year-olds who thinks kissing is lame?" Larry smirked. "It's cute!"

"Well!" Nick chuckled. "Guess it takes one to know one, there."

"Hey!" Larry laughed, punching at his father's hip with both paws a few times.

* * *

-Barns and Stables Booksellers, 11:00 AM, Sunday-

"So, you're here for a book to do a book report? Didn't they supply you with a book to do one?" Nick wondered, looking down the aisles.

"Well, we could do one supplied by the school, but it looked kinda boring," Larry explained, "we could also choose one from a short list of other ones, but we had to get those ourselves."

"This isn't due Monday, is it?" Nick teased.

"No dad, it's due the Friday after next," Larry shook his head and smirked.

"So why aren't we at the library, then?" Nick shrugged. "That's free."

"But you gotta give the book back!" Larry chuckled. "I might wanna read it again, because it sounds cool. Or, I could give it to Chet when I'm done. He loves books." Larry picked out the book. "Ooh, here it is."

"The Apes of Wrath?" Nick cocked an eyebrow, bending over. "What's an 'ape'?"

"It's this cool mythical creature that's all hairy and they have weird, scary faces and huge forearms," Larry grinned. "You know, mythical like dragons."

"But dragons are real, Larry," said Nick, "I saw a few in Pawaii. Komodo dragons, bearded dragons..."

"No, I mean the dragons that can breathe fire and fly," Larry chuckled.

"Oh right, like the guy from Super Bash Bunnies. One of the characters there... he's an ape, right?" Nick laughed. "Oh hey, speaking of Chet..."

"Yo, Lares!" A gray chinchilla who was Larry's height but quite a bit wider headed over swiftly. "Dude, are you here for Apes of Wrath too? That's my brody; it's the coolest book on the list!" Chet offered his paw up for a high-five, and Larry energetically accepted. Another gray chinchilla in a smart looking suit and hat showed up behind them. "Yo, Lares, this is my dad!" Chet looked eager to introduce the two.

"Hello!" The chinchilla waved in greeting. "You must be Larry. Chet goes on and on about his 'brody'. It's good to meet you! Ah, where are your parents, young man?"

"Present," Nick chuckled.

"Oh, I see!" The chinchilla offered his paw to Nick, and Nick knelt down to shake it lightly. "I'm Winston. It's good to get to hang out with Chet. I'm just kind of sorry I can only take him here once a month. I'd buy him a book every week, but you know how it is, alimony and all that..."

Nick nodded slowly as he internalized this, his eyes fully open. He didn't want to clarify that he wasn't a single parent just yet.

"What's alimony-?" Larry wondered.

"It's just some payments and stuff," Chet said quickly. "Hey Lares, since we got the same book, maybe we can talk about it at lunch together! You know, help each other with our report!"

Larry grinned in amusement. "You just want me to write your report for you, don't you?"

"Pff, not even!" Chet shot back. "You better keep up with MY reading pace, or it's going to be spoiler city for you!" The two chuckled. Both fathers looked rather pleased.

"Well, son, unfortunately I think we have to wrap this up," Winston said with a small hint of sadness. "Let's go pay for your book."

"Aw, okay, dad," Chet nodded. "Catch you at school, brody!" Larry waved at Chet, who returned this.

"Chet is an interesting chinchilla," Nick shook his head after the two.

"What's alimony, dad?" Larry turned his head up to Nick.

Nick sighed. "Larry, if I told you that you definitely wouldn't like the answer, would you still want to know?"

Larry fidgeted with the book he was holding for a few seconds. "...Yeah?"

"All right, then," Nick said evenly. "Alimony is when a separated parent has to pay money towards supporting their child."

"Chet's parents are divorced?" Larry looked upset.

"Looks that way," Nick nodded. "From what I gathered, it sounds like Winston can only visit his son once a week."

"What!?" Larry looked panicked. "But he... he looks like he loves his dad!"

"I mean, yeah," Nick sighed, "could also be the extra excitement from only getting to see him occasionally though."

"But from what I've heard of his mom, I mean," Larry sputtered, "he doesn't tell me anything about her, but from what I've picked up... his mom is... like..." Larry looked crestfallen.

"That's just how it goes sometimes, son," Nick offered to carry Larry, as he was knelt down beside him. Larry hesitated, but accepted.

* * *

-Eastern Mezzo Park, Wednesday, 4:10 PM-

Larry and his friends often met up right after school in the park at what they called a "trick meet". Rodents and mustelids tended to have a lot of energy to burn after school, and with the cessation of recess in middle school, Chet had invented this get-together for some small animals to burn off steam. On this particular day, Larry was sitting down at the base of a tree, reading the Apes of Wrath, only half paying attention to the tricks. On the other side of the tree was seated Kara, a honey and white colored ferret with braces and pink glasses. She had a different book, the one that the school provided, Fur and Loathing. That one had looked somewhat dull to Larry.

"Hey, Lares!" Chet called out to the squirrel. "You wanna do a trick today?"

"Uh-huh!" Larry smirked, setting a bookmark in his book and putting it in his backpack. Kara craned her head around the tree to look at him.

"Ooh, whatcha gonna do, Larry?" She smiled at him. "...The SQ-Whirl?"

"Sure!" Larry shrugged, and Kara gave a tiny gasp. The SQ-Whirl was Larry's signature trick, and the favorite of several of the kids at the meet. He didn't like to do it too often though, because he didn't want it to lose its "wow" factor.

"Lares! Nice!" Chet looked enthusiastic. "Hey can I have your phone?"

"Uh, sure?" Larry reached for it and brought it out. "Why?"

"I'm gonna record you, brody!" Chet laughed.

"Really?" Larry's voice whined a bit and his shoulders huffed. "If you do that, you know I'll mess up."

"Eh, c'mon," said Kerry, a brown weasel girl, "just pretend Chet doesn't exist. Like that's hard." There was laughter from the group and Chet rolled his eyes.

"All right, rodents and mustelids!" Chet called out, getting the phone ready. "Hold your applause till the end of the stunt!"

Larry hopped in place a couple of times to psyche himself up, then ran for a tree. He scurried up its length halfway, then started running around the circumference of the tree. Faster and faster he went, then at the right moment, leaped clear of the tree and carried his motion through the air into a whirling disc of gray fluff and tail. Larry landed smoothly on three limbs, holding one fist out and giving a smirk at Chet as his tail whipped out. He was getting better at doing the trick smoothly.

" _YES!_ Sweet!" Chet said, stopping the recording. Cheers and clapping broke out.

"Okay Larry, okay!" Kerry nodded, clapping. "You still got it!"

"Nice, pipsqueak," Heather, a white stoat, said, pushing her chin up. Kara was still at the foot of the other tree, but she definitely wasn't paying attention to her book.

"Your turn, Chet! Your turn!" Larry said, taking his phone back. "Let me record one of yours!"

Chet's shoulders shrugged, but he was still grinning. "Eh, not feeling it today, Lares."

"Oh, okay," Larry nodded, his enthusiasm taking a small hit, though his smile remained.

"What? The Chilla's skipping a trick?" Heather shook her head. "Lame! You gotta show up the pipsqueak! You're the coolest of all of us!"

"Hey, back off, Heather," Larry said, his smile vanishing. "If he doesn't feel like it he-"

"Who asked you, squirrel?" Heather advanced on Larry, and he flinched. "I know you think you're hot stuff cause of your best trick, but-"

"Heather, chill," Chet said calmly, and she did. "This isn't a contest. We're all here to have fun."

"Besides," Kerry agreed, holding one paw up vertically and pressing the other one horizontally atop it, "we're about outta time. We should all get goin'." Heather gave Larry a supsicious look, but soon everyone dispersed. Larry got his backpack and noticed Chet hadn't started moving yet.

"Heather's kinda mean, yeah?" Larry wondered, standing alongside him.

"Eh, she's just blunt, Lares," Chet shrugged. "She doesn't mean any harm; she just likes the natural order of things. She thinks I have to be the leader of us. Don't worry though, I got my brody's back." Chet pat Larry's back firmly and the squirrel chuckled with his eyes closed, returning the gesture, and missing the fact that it made Chet flinch.

"We both gotta go to the subway, so let's go!" Larry beckoned. Chet slowly nodded, but Larry noticed quickly that he was limping a bit. "What happened, Chet...?"

"Eh, fell at the meet yesterday," Chet shrugged. "No big."

"You did?" Larry tried to remember his trick. He'd done one Larry invented, the "Squall Jump", flawlessly at that. "I thought you did it perfectly...?"

"S'no big deal, bro," Chet shook his head and kept walking. Larry felt seized with anxiety and scampered up to be next to him again as they walked.

"C-chet, what's going on?" Larry asked trying to catch Chet's gaze, to no response. "Chet...?"

"Dude, leave it," Chet said firmly, his eyes focused in the distance.

Larry felt his breaths coming quicker. "C-chet! If I... if I tell you about why I'm not with my birth mother, will you t-tell me about what's going on with-"

"No!" Chet snapped angrily, then looked ashamed. "No... sorry Lares. Just, I don't want to talk about our moms, all right!?"

"C-chet!" Larry gasped. "I'm your friend! Please-!"

"I know, Larry!" Chet's teeth clenched. "But I'm going to get into huge trouble if I say ANYTHING, so just STAY OUT of it, okay?" Chet's mouth wobbled, then he tried to lose himself among the forest of larger animal legs as he descended into the subway. Larry stood at the top of the subway entrance, feeling lost and helpless.

"Chet... w-what's wrong...?"

* * *

-The Wilde-Hopps' Aardvark Rise Apartment, Wednesday, 6:58 PM-

After dinner, Larry was trying to focus on his book. But all the rest of that afternoon and evening, his thoughts were plagued by non-stop worrying. He had thought of what he believed was every possible situation Chet could be in that would make him act this way. He had settled on one of them, and he didn't like it at all. He grit his teeth as the words in his book didn't seem to properly register and he couldn't concentrate. He jumped in surprise from his phone ringing.

"Hi mom," Larry said in a clearly upset voice, trying to hold his phone steady. Judy had MuzzleTimed him from inside a room in the Hopps complex.

"Larry? What's the matter, sweetie?" Judy's face quickly shifted to concern as Larry's mood was plain as day.

"Muh... mom, I think somethings wrong with Chet, like, really wrong," Larry could feel his voice and breaths starting to catch.

"What do you mean, honey?" Judy seemed alarmed.

"I think," Larry's voice heaved as he tried not to cry. "I think his mom is huh-hurting him or something..." Larry's teeth bared in distress, and then he began to sob.

Judy gasped. "What makes you think that?"

"He was luh-limping today and he wuh-wouldn't tell me why..." Larry shook his head rapidly, sniffling. "He's nuh... he's not too p-proud to tell me when he huh-hurts himself... and he... he w-won't talk about his muh-mom..."

"Oh no..." Judy put a paw to her mouth.

"I don't know what to do...!" Larry's voice ascended into a very high pitch as he squinted his eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks. He sniffled and sobbed in despair.

"Larry... oh I wish I was there, honey, I'd hug you up so tight right now..." Judy's teeth showed as she felt her son's sadness eat at her stomach. "You just need to keep being his friend, okay...? Just be there for him." Larry nodded, choking out a few more sobs. "Larry, now you listen to me... just go find your father, okay? You need a hug. Go talk to Nick."

"Nnh... nnh-kay..." Larry sniffled.

"Call me right back, okay?" Judy said in concern. Larry nodded, ending the call and putting the phone in his pocket. He burst out of his room and made for the couch. Nick took in a sharp breath of alarm as he saw his son running towards him with teary eyes.

"Larry! What's wrong!?" Nick leaned over and scooped Larry up, holding him close.

"I th-think Chet's mom is hurting him... nngh..." Larry kept sniffling, trying to hug as close as possible onto the fox's arms. Nick set Larry on his chest, and Larry latched on there next.

Nick swallowed, petting his back. "Y-you positive about that?"

"No..." Larry admitted. "Buh-but I'm pretty sure." Larry took a very large, shaky breath to try to explain himself again. "He won't talk to me about his mom and he gets these weird injuries sometimes that he tries to convince me happened somewhere else..."

Nick's teeth clenched and he looked away. The fox's mind sprinted into overdrive. "Okay son, it'll be okay."

"What...?" Larry looked at him with a pitifully sad and uncertain face. Nick was pretty sure it was causing his very soul pain.

"If there's one good thing about your dad," Nick began, "it's that he knows everyone." He pat Larrys back softly.

"...There's a lot of good things about my dad," Larry gave a weak chuckle.

"Hmm, you may be right there, Lare-bear," Nick smirked. "But don't worry. I'm going to make sure I do everything I can to help. I can't promise a miracle, but I'll do everything short of that."

"Y-you'd do that for Chet?" Larry stared at Nick in wonder, his eyes drying.

"If someone hurts your "brody", they hurt my little boy," Nick said seriously. "And if they hurt my little boy, they have to answer to me."

"Wow, dad..." Larry rested his cheek on Nick's chest.

"I know, that sounded pretty cool, huh?" Nick chuckled. Larry laughed weakly. Larry pulled out his phone and called his mother.

"Larry? Oh thank goodness, are you feeling better?" Judy wondered.

"A little-lot," Larry nodded diagonally.

"Foxy boy, is that you up there?" Judy tried to crane her eyes up to see Nick.

"The one and only, bunny babe," Nick said boisterously.

"What did you do to calm him down?" Judy wondered. "I mean, besides a hug."

"Told him I'd try to fix everything," Nick smirked. "And I will."

"What... what do you intend to do?" Judy's eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement.

"C'mon Judy, you think just because I'm on the straight and narrow a fox can't pull a hustle every once in awhile...?"

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, Thursday, 8:20 AM-

"Hey, Skippy!" Nick pumped his arm across his chest, approaching the station of Karen Skippel, an arctic hare technical officer and somewhat-begrudging friend of his.

"Hey, 'Nicky'," Karen shot back wryly without looking at him. One of the corners of her mouth barely tugged upwards.

"Okay, deserved that," Nick nodded. "Need a favor."

"What can this humble technical officer do for you?" Karen said sarcastically.

"Need you to pull up three names," Nick said, suddenly very seriously. "Winston, Chet, and Rinn Chilla."

"Uh, okay?" Karen finally turned to look at him, curious at the steel in his voice. "What am I looking for, here?"

"I need to see if Rinn has any arrest history," Nick went on.

"Hm, a couple of arrests for driving under the influence," Karen looked at her history, "some complaints filed and called in for disorderly conduct and disrupting the peace at her apartment."

Nick brought his teeth over his lips and mouthed a curse word. "Okay, that's bad. In fact that is very bad. I'm going to need a print out of that and anything we got on Chet and Winston."

Karen stared at her screen and looked at some of the information on Chet and Winston and her overactive bunny mind quickly tried to connect the dots. "Wait, what is this about? Do you think the kid is being abused?"

"It's starting to seem that way, Skip," Nick's teeth were showing.

"Hang on, this isn't part of an investigation, is it?" Karen looked intensely at him. "You should tread lightly with stuff like this. This isn't your fight, Wilde-Hopps."

"Except it kind of is?" Nick narrowed one eye. "You should have seen how upset my poor squirrel was last night, Skip. He was sobbing like crazy over even the thought of his best friend being hurt by someone that's supposed to be taking care of him."

"That kid really gets to you, huh? I know I've said it before," Karen smiled a bit, her head shaking softly, "but 'cool dad' is my favorite side of you." Nick let himself smile just a little. "What are you going to do now, though? This isn't anything. It's completely circumstantial and tangential." Karen went ahead and sent the sheets over to the ZPD's printer.

"For now," Nick nodded. "But Dr. Pedshark owes me a favor."

"What can he do?" Karens brow furrowed. "All he does is stare at dead bodies all day."

"True, but he has a lot of friends in the medical profession," Nick explained. "Look, I know its a long shot, but I have to try."

"All right, Nick," Karen shook her head. "It's your funeral."

"Hope it won't be," Nick was feeling anxious, so he decided to try to lighten the mood. "Anyway, Skip, you thought about tying the knot with Crystal Lumi any time soon?" Karen's eyes suddenly went wide and her ears twitched. She looked left and right to make sure no one was watching.

"Nick...!" She hissed in warning.

"Skip to your Lumi, darlin'," Nick winked.

Karen made a chopping motion with her hand. "Get _out_ of here, Wilde-Hopps!"

Nick grinned, following that direction. It'd been quite awhile since he had met Judy Hopps, but ever since then, he _loved_ teasing bunnies.

* * *

-Snarlbucks, 21st Street, Thursday, 11:00 AM-

"I'm sorry, Nick, but what you're asking," Dr. Carl Pedshark began, staring at the file Nick collected on Chet Chilla, "it's just not done! A doctor can't just waltz right in and grab a patient's medical records whenever it pleases them!"

"Can we get permission from the father?" Nick pursued.

"He's not the legal guardian," Carl shook his head. "Our paws are tied!"

"Take a look at this, Carl," Nick pointed at Rinn's arrest history, "you really think she's sober now? I think she's hitting her kid, and so does my son."

"I _think_ is not a compelling argument, legally," Carl winced in apology.

"So what will it take, then?" Nick scooted back, flicking his arm upwards in frustration. "Does the kid have to show up in an emergency room, bruised and bloodied, before someone takes notice? Or does he have to find another way out. Hmm?" Carl looked stymied. "You know the things you have seen on that table you work on. I sure would do anything I could if it was _my_ son this was about, even if I had to bend the rules a little."

"Good lord, as I would for my daughter," Carl's eyes searched the table. "...I, I'll tell you what. I know of a pediatric doctor at Mercy General named Dr. Lucy Deerbring. She's a bit of a bleeding heart, especially towards allegations of abuse like this. I might be able to... er..." Carl wrung his hands, "see if she can fabricate some sort of explanation for why his medical records should be audited. See if there are any sort of inconsistencies in the injuries he sustained officially versus what was observed."

"Now we're talking," Nick nodded, scooting back into the table. "We need something to get that chinchilla into a family court hearing."

"I'm afraid it won't be enough," Carl sighed. "Any lawyer worth their salt is going to try to get the records thrown out, even if something legitimate or suspicious is found."

"I've got an attorney I know," Nick went on, "A bird from another city, by the name of Mr. Wright. He's kind of infamous for turning cases he's about to lose right around."

"Ah, I have heard of him," Carl nodded, "his name is Nick as well, from what I recall?"

"Well, that's one of his nicknames," Nick chuckled. "I prefer to call him Feeny, for obvious reasons. Listen, we need to get that kid into the courtroom. Once that he sees that there are people fighting for him, he might confess to the abuse. If he can see that there's a way out that doesn't end in pain or misery, he might go for it."

"I hope you're right, Nicholas," Carl sighed. "You are putting an awful lot of chips on the table for this."

"I know, Carl," Nick finally sipped his coffee. "But I'm just trying to be a good father to my boy. Trying to make the world a bit better."

There was a period of silence while the two sipped their drinks.

"On a bit of a lighter note," Carl started, "your son is a squirrel, is he not? I believe I have caught my daughter staring at some pictures of a squirrel on her phone, with a bit of a wistful look. She always deletes them when I demand to check, however."

Nick gave a single breath of amusement. "You think it's my son?" Nick chuckled. "If it was, would that be a problem?"

"Well I'm sure I don't know!" Carl grinned. "I wouldn't want it interfering with her studies."

"Her studies?" Nick narrowed his eyes. "Carl, they're only thirteen! Let kids be kids! I know I had to grow up way too fast. I want Larry to enjoy his childhood. I'm not going to be upset if he's got a ferret crushing on him, if that's what is going on."

Carl chuckled lightly. "I suppose you're right, Nicholas."

* * *

-The Wilde-Hopps' Aardvark Rise Apartment, 7:00 PM-

It was a month and a half later. Larry and Nicholas were both making the same silly face with their tongues sticking out as they played a video game together.

"Oh come _on_!" Nick protested. "I swear they nerfed my character in this new installment. To the _ground_. Into which they keep ending up."

"Dad, seriously," Larry shook his head, "I looked up the changes online, they actually got buffed! You need to get good."

"I'm not used to this new engine, it's a lot different," Nick complained, "and speaking of 'new', why is it called New Super Bash Bunnies? What are they going to do for the next one? Call it 'New New Super Bash Bunnies'? And what about when this game is like a decade old?"

Larry laughed, but hesitated on the character select screen before the next round. His smile slowly melted away and he looked concerned. "Dad, uh... I'm kind of worried about Chet again? He hasn't been in school for the past several days and no one knows where he is, even the musteladies."

"Oh don't you worry about Chet," Nick smirked. "I have a feeling you'll be seeing him again soon, and shortly."

"How are you so sure?" Larry tilted his head.

"Because I am awesome," Nick said haughtily.

"Well I know that," Larry smirked, "but you can still barely ever beat me at this game."

"Rub it in, why don't you!" Nick said with his mouth agape. "Why don't you try going at me with a character you're not so good with?"

"Pff, I'm good with all of 'em," Larry narrowed his eyes.

"You little..." Nick was about to give him a noogie, when they both started from Judy bursting through the door with an overeager expression on her face.

"Whoooo's ready to get their tail kicked in New Super Bash Bunnies?" Judy yelled out. Both Nick and Larry yelped in panic.

"Gah! Uh, I think my controller's run out of battery, babe," Nick held it up.

"Liar! That controller is corded, Nicholas!" Judy smirked with her teeth showing.

"Woah, uh, I think I have an important assignment due tomorrow that I just remembered right now," Larry said in a high tone. Judy launched onto Larry's bed and grabbed his pillow and started lightly whacking both of them with it.

"Cowards!" She proclaimed between swings.

"Ack! It's a _real_ Super Bash Bunny!" Nick laughed, trying to shield himself with an arm.

"Face me like _true_ mammal warriors!" Judy growled out bombastically.

"Mom...! Cut it out!" Larry giggled.

* * *

-Eastern Mezzo Park, 4:08 PM-

The following Monday at school, Chet Chilla had returned. Larry had said hi to him, sat with him at lunch, and met with him at the trick meet, but he seemed strange; stunned and distant. Larry didn't want to upset him, so he kept his thoughts to himself. Early on in the trick meet, Chet stood up and started to walk away.

"Chet, we barely got started, here!" Heather said in annoyance. "I've got some new moves to show you!"

"Just hang on, Heth," Chet shook his head. "Need a bit of a walk."

"You okay?" Kara asked in concern.

"Yeah just..." Chet looked at Larry. "Hey brody, you're invited. You wanna walk?" The squirrel scrambled to his feet faster than he could think, and was walking with Chet in no time. Chet looked back at the meet until no one was in earshot.

"Are you _really_ okay, Chet?" Larry asked in worry.

"...Yeah, actually, I'm more than okay..." Chet shook his head. "I'm gonna be living with my DAD now..."

"W-what? Really?" Larry's face lit up. "That's what you want, right!?"

"More than anything, Lares," Chet nodded. "It's been like some kind of weird dream. I went to this family court thing. It was so... weird. Action-packed, even. People were bouncing up everywhere, yelling: _HOLD IT! OBJECTION! TAKE THAT!_ " Chet started to point in various directions dramatically.

"Is that what they call a kangaroo court?" Larry wondered.

"No idea, Lares," Chet softly chuckled. "But they got me on the stand. I... couldn't look at her, but I... I had to tell 'em how she'd start drinking, take my books, and..." Larry gasped sharply, and then dashed directly at Chet, hugging him tightly. Chet was stunned into silence. Larry was able to hug all the way around him, gripping firmly onto his soft chinchilla fur.

"Don't talk about that," Larry said firmly. "I don't want you to feel bad about that ever again, okay...?" Chet didn't respond, or hug back. Larry let go before too much longer. Chet's expression was baffled.

"Uh, Lares, brody?" Chet's eyebrow cocked. "I mean I... don't take this the wrong way but... I'm not like, into you, duder..."

Larry laughed. "Oh, I like girls too, Chet! But can't brodys hug it out once in awhile? Especially if one of them really needs it?"

"I mean, I guess," Chet's shoulders shrugged. "As long as no one else sees. I gotta be the cool Chilla for our peeps, brody! And hugs aren't cool."

"They so are!" Larry laughed. "And you know, I bet the musteladies have wondered what it was like to hug you every now and again. Maybe I should tell them you're _super_ soft..."

"What? Dude, shut up!" Chet laughed.

"I'm super glad you're gonna be living with your dad now!" Larry continued, but then his expression took a hit. "Um, are you going to be moving schools?"

"Oh no, Lares, that's cool," Chet said, "Dad's always been just around the way, it's just he couldn't see me too much due to legal junk."

"Whew, that's a relief," Larry nodded. The two slowly started to make their way back to the meet.

"So you really like girls, huh Lares?" Chet asked skeptically. Larry nodded. "I gotta admit, I was wondering for awhile there. ...So do you have a crush?"

Larry froze and his eyes widened.

"Oh, so, yes," Chet shook his head, laughing. "Who is it? Is it one of the musteladies? Oh! I bet it's Kara, isn't it? The cutest one!"

Larry laughed lightly in panic. His voice was high. "Uh, Kara?"

"I've seen you lookin' at her from time to time, Lares," Chet smirked in a reproving voice. "And you know what? Sometimes she looks at you, too, when your back is turned. Bit her lip once. Bet she digs that big fluffy tail."

"Wuh-huh!?" Larry was stunned. He tried to play it off, starting to walk again. "I mean, c'mon, what? Yeah right... Kara? Pff, no way..."

"Lares," Chet sighed in a flat voice. He pat Larry on the back. "My buddy. My bro. We have _got_ to work on your poker face. You're like an open book. Seriously."


	20. Summer Partners

-Eastern Mezzo Park-

Seventh grade had come to a close for Larry Wilde-Hopps the gray squirrel and his friends. Not even the school being out could keep them apart, however; they kept meeting at least once a week for their "trick meets". As many rodents and mustelids often had more energy than they could possibly burn through by remaining idle, Larry's best friend Chet "the Chilla" Chilla had come up with this hangout idea, where all kinds of smallish animals could get together and do tricks and stunts.

"Hey, let me give you a boost, Lares!" Chet said to Larry, kneeling down and offering his hands. "Do a front-flip!"

"Easy!" Larry said, taking the boost from Chet and doing a natural, smooth front flip in mid-air, accompanied by the swirl of his bushy squirrel tail. He landed on his feet, crouching to absorb the force of the landing, and put his hands on his hips.

"Nice, brody!" Chet stood back up and gave him a high five.

Off to the side, watching, were three mustelids that always hung out together. They were one of the most well-known cliques in their middle school from their complete dynamic. There was Kerry Weaselton, their leader, a brown weasel. She gave a somewhat judgemental smirk at the trick. Heather Mine, a white stoat with a frayed, black tipped tail, folded her arms; she wasn't impressed by really easy tricks, but she didn't say anything. Finally, Kara Pedshark, a honey-and-white colored ferret with hot pink glasses and braces. She was staring rather dreamily at Larry.

Kerry noticed this and sighed. "Oh for the love of... Kara, you're driving me _crazy_!" Kara started a bit out of her daze, running a paw over her head fur and looking away with a frown.

Heather smirked. "You should just make out with him already and get it over with."

"What!?" Kara shook her head. "No, I couldn't."

"C'mon, it would be easy," Heather shrugged. "I could go over there and smooch him right now. You know Larry is a marshmallow; he wouldn't resist."

Kara put a hand on her shoulder firmly. "No, don't!" Heather grinned and sloughed her paw off of her.

"Just playin'."

"You should go get with him anyway," Kerry flicked her hands dismissively. "Like Heather said, he's an easy mark. It'll be good practice until you can find a real ferret boyfriend."

"What do you mean a _real_ boyfriend?" Kara said, her mouth hanging slightly open in distaste. "What's wrong with Larry? He's nice and sweet..."

"Yeah, and a prey," Heather smirked. "Most prey are soft, one way or the other."

"And Larry isn't just any prey," Kerry nodded. "He's like, the softest little squirrel I've ever seen! I don't even know if he's _into_ girls, to be honest! Much less preds."

"What's wrong with him being nice, or soft!?" Kara was starting to get quite indignant. "What's wrong with him being a _prey_!?"

"Oh, nothin'," Kerry glanced at her own claws on one hand smugly. "Where're you gonna go out on a date with him, though? You're a ferret. You can't eat anything but meat. You don't even have a choice. And Larry, he's a forager. All he can eat are nuts, berries, and greens. Gonna be hard to find a restaurant with that kinda selection. You know Zootopia doesn't exactly have the whole pred-prey thing together yet."

Kara clenched her teeth. Her shoulders scrunched and she stomped a foot. "You girls are unbelievable." She stormed off to go be by herself.

"Are you _trying_ to drive her away into the arms of that squirrel?" Heather rolled her eyes at Kerry, rotating one of her shoulders.

"Now just hold on a second, Heather, you know how our dynamic works," Kerry flashed a confident grin. "You're the brawn, she's the brains, and I'm the management. I gotta push her JUST hard enough to make her think twice about Larry, so she knows the safest place for her is here. I know _you_ love the status quo. Where'd we be without Kara? Our trio would be down to two."

"So all that stuff you said about Larry..." Heather tilted her head, "was that just to throw Kara off?"

"Oh, Larry's a doll," Kerry giggled, flicking her wrist. " _I'd_ date him. Pred, prey, who cares, really? That's just for stuffy old grown-ups to fuss over."

"Mm," Heather folded her arms, her mouth twisting a bit. She did like the status quo of their little clique, but one thing she didn't like was duplicity.

* * *

-The Chilla's Nibblin' Homes Apartment-

"All right, Lares, feast your eyes on _this_!" Chet proudly opened the door to his room of his apartment. He then grandiosely displayed his new, modestly-sized, but handsome bookshelf, which was already loaded with books. It had been a couple of weeks since the three mustelids, the "musteladies" as Chet called them, had discussed matters.

"Oh, cool!" Larry smiled. He knew Chet liked books. Most of the books were hard-cover, which Chet also favored. "Was that your dad's birthday gift to you?"

"Awh yeah," Chet smirked in delight, grinning and running his paws over the back of his neatly organized books. "The Chilla's gonna read _all_ of you babies... maybe even twice!"

Larry couldn't help but laugh at his silly friend. "So you got that over a phone, huh? You kept complaining about that."

"Oh no, I got a phone, brody," Chet ran over to show him. "My dad said that since he doesn't have to pay alimony anymore, a phone seemed like a good investment for me." Chet looked rather proud. "Oh hey, you didn't come to our last trick meet!"

"Yeah, I was at my gramma's house," Larry nodded. "My parents had to work extra late that day."

"Right, well I got a bit of video I bet you'll like," Chet said accusingly, wiggling his eyebrows. He showed Larry his phone. "Kara did her ferret 'war dance' last time."

Larry felt like his ears were going hot as he watched. Kara rarely did her war dance anymore. She bounced this way and that playfully, seeming to go all over the place. She looked happy and free during it, but as always after she was finished she rubbed the fur on her brow with one paw in a bit of embarassment. She headed over to Chet and asked him to stop recording.

"Okay, dude, brody," Chet grinned at the captivated squirrel, "we have _got_ to talk about this."

"A-about what?" Larry pretended to not be looking at the phone.

"About Kara, dude," Chet laughed. "You dig her. Like... crazy far down. Earth's mantle level."

Larry gave a big, nervous sigh. "She is... uh... really cute."

"Finally!" Chet laughed loudly. "It's taken you two whole school years to admit it! Just ask her out or something!"

"But, Chet," Larry wrung his hands nervously. "She's... a predator."

Chet's jaw dropped in astonishment. "Dude, I never thought I'd hear _you_ say that. Your mom is a bunny, and your dad is a fox!"

"Well, I mean, I don't care about that kinda stuff," Larry nodded. "But don't you think _she_ would? Pred-prey stuff is kinda just like... it doesn't really happen."

"Dude, she's too smart for that!" Chet shook his head. "Brody, I think you'd be more eager to get with her if you believed me when I said how much she steals little peeks of you, my squirrel. She's been trying to get more careful lately, but it'll still slip." Chet laughed in amusement. "She IS a predator, but I think she wants _you_ as her prey."

"Woah, jeez Chet!" Larry started at this accusation. He paused. "Uh, are you attracted to Kara? Or Heather or Kerry?"

"Honestly Lares, I can't say I am," Chet gave a smirk. "They're too slinky for me. I wanna get my hands on some of that _female_ chinchilla fur, if you know what I'm sayin'. You know how soft we are."

Larry paused. "...You really think Kara could go for a wussy little squirrel like me?"

Chet frowned. "Dude you are _not_ a wuss. You can do some of the coolest tricks out of all of us. You're super nice, and so is she! You're a great fit!"

Larry didn't look completely convinced, but he nodded.

* * *

-Eastern Mezzo Park-

Larry was at the trick meet the next time they all met up, but he felt distracted. He made an excuse and broke away from them, heading off and getting onto the branch of a tree that was pretty close to the ground. He gave a big sigh. Lately when he went anywhere where Kara also was, he felt a big knot in his stomach.

"Hi, Larry," Kara said shyly. Larry's body twitched, nearly falling off the branch.

"Kara!? You followed me?" Larry seemed quite surprised.

"Um, I wanted to show you something, if that's okay," Kara grinned. Larry nodded once. Kara took a couple of bar magnets out of her pocket. "Magnets, right?" She giggled nervously. She tried to push the positive poles on them together, demonstrating how they repelled. "Um, see how the two like poles repel each other?" Larry took a moment, but he thought he caught on.

"Uh, yeah," Larry suddenly looked crestfallen. "Y-you're saying people that are a lot alike can't really go together." Kara gasped in panic. Larry slunk off the branch and down to the ground.

"W-wait, no!" Kara said worriedly, landing next to him and straightening up. "S-stupid analogy. T-this part was next!" She held up the positive end. "Prey?" And the negative one. "Predator?" She clinked them together, and they fit neatly. "See? Opposites... um... attract...?"

"Why's the predator got to be the negative end?" Larry wondered.

Kara stamped her foot and looked at the sky. "Oh, criminy, I knew this was a dumb metaphor..."

"No, I got it," Larry smiled very slightly. "You're... attracted to me?"

Kara shyly winced and Larry perceived the barest nod. She looked away before Larry could meet her gaze again.

"Wanna like... hang out sometime then?" Larry asked happily.

Kara drew in a sharp breath and looked at him, nodding very rapidly. "Okay um, here's my number." Kara got out her phone and shared her info with Larry. "Text me, okay?" As she was three inches taller than Larry, she curled her head down very slightly and gave him a small peck on the cheek, then zoomed off before Larry could react.

Though, to be fair, it was several seconds before Larry did react. His ears felt like they were on fire.

* * *

-The Wilde-Hopps' Aardvark Rise Apartment-

Larry looked quite dazed as he got home that evening. His parents, Judy and Nick, greeted him. Judy was washing the dishes, and Nick was fixing them some dinner.

"Hey kiddo," Nick grinned, then read his expression. "Um, uh _huh_. So, you look about as shocked as the time you actually won against Judy in New Super Bash Bunnies."

"That was one time!" Judy protested, drying her hands. "And I'm still getting used to the new engine!" She turned her attention to Larry. "So, what's up?"

"Um," Larry had a huge grin. "I think Kara wants to go out with me."

Judy blinked. "Kara...? Dr. Pedshark's daughter? Oh, I see!"

"Is that, uh, is that okay?" Larry's face scrunched a bit in caution.

"Sure!" Judy said immediately, but then turned to Nick and spoke out of the side of her mouth quietly. "Is Larry having a girlfriend at this age okay?"

"I'm standing right here," Larry said wryly.

"I'm okay with it, bunny babe," Nick grinned slyly. "As long as he's got a chaperone."

"Yes!" Larry exulted, jumping up and thrusting his fist into the air.

"So what do you think is a good first date then?" Judy tapped her finger to her cheek. "There's not too many eateries that can serve both predators and prey of their size..."

"So one of you will come with me, right?" Larry smiled.

"Ooh, I don't know if it will be one of us, Larry," Nick smirked. "You really want the 'parental lameness factor' hanging over your head?"

"I love you guys, though!" Larry protested. "You're not lame at all!"

"She might not think so," Nick chuckled. "Just want you to have the best shot here, sport."

"What, then?" Judy wondered. "Oh, I think I know! You remember Vivian Reddish, right? Sells frozen fruit drinks at Mezzo Park?"

Larry nodded. "Yeah, we visit her a few times a year."

" _If_ she is all right with it, you may hang out with Kara near her stand, as long as you stay in sight of her, and it's the weekend," Judy stipulated with a smirk and her eyes half-lid. Judy texted into her phone and waited for a response. It came in about ten minutes. "Haha, looks like she's down."

"That's fine! That's great!" Larry agreed, texting into his own phone. "Ooh, looks like she's okay with it, too! Hehe... she gave me a little heart icon...!"

"Oof, sounds like he's got it bad," Nick laughed.

Concern suddenly hit Judy and she walked over to Larry. "Now Larry, you don't ONLY like her because she's a predator, do you?"

"Judy, what!?" Nick protested. "What would make you say that?"

"I just don't want him to... I don't know, think he has to emulate us?" Judy tilted her head. "I'm sure there are a lot of nice squirrel girls around. Didn't you say you thought a squirrel girl in your math class named Scarlet was cute?"

"Y-yeah, she's cute and all, but a little, off?" Larry admitted. "But Kara is super smart, and cute, and sweet, and like... slinky... and her glasses are nice, and her eyes... and-!"

"Okay okay, I got it!" Judy laughed.

* * *

-Central Mezzo Park-

"Hello, Larry..." Vivian Reddish, a red fox, said accusingly with a huge grin as he saw Larry and Kara climb up to her counter. "And is this Kara...?"

"Y-yes ma'am," Kara nodded her head.

"As long as you stay within eye and ear shot, drinks are on me today," Vivian smirked. "What would you like, Larry?"

"The wild-berry slush!" Larry said, pointing.

"And you, little ferret? Oh, right, a ferret," Vivian gave her a serious look. "Most of this stuff is off-limits to you."

"Huh!?" Larry looked indignant.

"No, it's okay," Kara giggled. "Ferrets can't have a lot of sugary stuff." Larry looked like this might not have been the best idea after all. "Ooh, sugar-free cherry limeade sounds good."

"Here you go!" Vivian passed them both their drinks.

Larry and Kara sat next to each other on a small bench somewhat close to Vivian's stand. The vixen watched them shamelessly with her fist propping her chin up; she thought the shy couple looked adorable. Larry kicked his feet; neither of the two seemed to know what to say.

"So um," Kara swallowed some of her drink, and took her glasses off with her other hand. "Did you know magenta isn't a real color?"

"What...?" Larry seemed confused, his eyes drawn to the glasses.

"Yeah!" Kara giggled. "The spectrum of light is linear, but we perceive it as a curve... so the 'space' between red and purple... we invent it as magenta!"

Larry was mystified as he stared. "D-does that mean your glasses aren't a real color? Woah..." Larry looked them over. Kara turned her head away, embarrassed, and put her glasses back on. She winced; she tended to spout off random trivia when she was really nervous. She started to feel warmer; it was a hot day and she had a cool drink. She sipped more of it.

"It is pretty hot today, huh?" Larry sipped some of his own. "Good thing we got these cool drinks, huh?"

"Uh huh," Kara nodded. She kept sipping, but she wasn't feeling refreshed for some reason. She glanced at Larry, and the glance turned into a stare.

After a few seconds, Larry noticed. "Uh, Kara?"

"You know, um, Larry..." Kara began, smiling, "you're uh... _really_ cute."

Larry's straw was in his mouth, and his gasp caused a lot of his slush to shoot into his mouth all at once. He swallowed hard. His voice was tiny. "Uh... y-you think so?"

"Uh huh..." Kara started to scoot closer. "Like... really really cute... you're so fluffy..." Kara started to giggle. Larry's breaths started to come quick, and it seemed like Kara's were as well.

"Uh!" Larry started, then felt a familiar tightness in his chest. "Ugh, I drank that way too fast. I'm g-gonna get a brain freeze." He winced and clutched at the left side of his head. "Agh! Here it comes..."

"Ohh... poor Larry," Kara pouted a bit and tried to rub at his temple. "I'm sorry..."

"Kara... uh, what's going on all of a sudden?" Larry's heart was beating quite fast.

Kara just giggled again. "Fuzzy lil' squirrel..." Larry shot an alarmed look to Vivian, who was just giggling into her paw. Larry felt something close to an excited fear.

"I'd like to touch your tail..." Kara cooed, reaching for it. Larry whipped it away and scooted back.

"Um! I think this is going a bit fast!" Larry set his drink down and saw Kara prowling on all fours across the bench at him.

"But it's just so fluffy and curly..." Kara gave a huff of discomfort, "I... I want it..." Larry gave one more panicked look to Vivian, who was picking up her phone.

"Vivian!?" Larry shouted. "What's going on!?"

Vivian tried not to laugh. "Um, I'm not sure I should be the one to tell you. Just... good luck! Don't worry, I'm calling your parents."

"What did I do!?" Larry wailed, as Kara pounced for him. Larry started running towards Vivian's stand.

"Oh, nothing at all, Larry," Vivian couldn't help but giggle. "See if you can hold her off for a few minutes, okay?"

Larry yelped as Kara tackled for him again and barely missed. The gray squirrel scrambled quickly up to a high branch near Vivian's stand.

"Mmm... no fair, Larry!" Kara had a wide grin. "You know I can't climb that high... hehe, playing hard to get... teasing me... hehe..." Kara tried to climb up the tree as well, but she couldn't get a good enough grip to climb it quickly. "Bring that fluffy tail back down here, cutie!"

"K-Kara," Larry said frantically. "I do like you, but you're... acting kinda weird!"

"If you come down here," Kara said furtively, "I'll show you how much I like _you_...!"

Before too much longer, Nick and Judy arrived at the scene. Larry shot them a panicked glance.

"Mom, dad! Help!" Larry wailed at his parents as they rushed for him.

Nick and Judy stifled giggles as they saw the desperate ferret trying to get at him. She'd almost made it out of sheer willpower, and Larry was starting to back up on his branch. Judy accepted a boost from Nick and peeled Kara off the tree carefully.

"All right, time for you to go home, missy," Judy said, her voice amused. Kara wriggled in her hands.

"Mm, no fair!" Kara giggled. "Mrrrgh, lemme go... I want Larry!"

"I'll... I'll be right back, Nick," Judy laughed. "Gonna take her back to her place."

Nick clapped twice, offering his hands, and Larry jumped down into them. Nick then set him down.

"Let's talk a walk, son," Nick smirked. Larry nodded in trepidation. He looked off and saw Judy still trying to contain the wiggly ferret, who made grabbing hands at the air in Larry's direction. His expression was perplexed.

* * *

-Mezzo Park-

"W-what was _that_ all about, dad?" Larry had recovered his drink and was sipping it to try to cool down.

"Well," Nick said, smiling wryly. "I was really hoping to have your mother explain this to you, but I guess she needed to be the one to drive Kara home."

"Did I do something bad?" Larry worried, his eyes narrowing.

"Oh no, nothing bad," Nick shook his head, putting his hands into his pockets. "But I'm glad I remembered to give you two a chaperone."

"So can you just say it, or...?" Larry was starting to feel a bit frustrated.

Nick took a large breath and let it out slowly. "Larry, you just witnessed Kara going into heat."

"Heat...? What's that?" Larry cocked an eyebrow. "I mean, it is hot outside."

"No no, Larry," Nick smiled patiently. "Heat is something a lot of young female mammals have to deal with when they mature. It's when..." Nick took another deep breath, "well, it's when their bodies are telling them its time to... mate."

"M-mate!?" Larry's eyes flew open in panic.

"That's right," Nick nodded, keeping his expression even. "And in our civilized society, their bodies usually tell them that QUITE a bit too early."

"M...muh..." Larry was still floored.

"Fortunately, medicine has been on this for quite awhile," Nick explained. "Starting many, many generations ago, there were herbal treatments that could dull heat. Nowadays, we have a convenient pill that females can take to remove the symptoms altogether."

"She..." Larry kept going, "Kara wanted to _mate_ with me?"

Nick gave a nervous laugh. "I... well, Vivian was there, so I'm sure nothing would have happened."

"S-she's not going to be like this a lot, is she?" Larry winced. "It was kinda scary..."

"Oh, no, Larry," Nick shook his head. "The Chill Pill, as they call it, is extremely effective. All she has to do is remember to take it on time and she won't actually be like that ever again. ...Well, I shouldn't say _never_. If the mood is right, and she's _really_ attracted to someone special, she still might act like that. But that's for way later." Nick winked.

"O-oh..." Larry wondered if his ears were releasing smoke. Nick got in front of Larry and knelt down by him.

"One thing though, Lare-bear," Nick said. "If you like this ferret at all, do _not_ tease her about what happened today. Don't even _mention_ it."

"Oh, is sh-she going to remember all this?" Larry looked worried.

"Yep," Nick said with a small smirk. "Unfortunately, she will."

* * *

-Midwestern Savanna Central Indoor Pool, Small Size-

Heather swam up to the edge of the pool as she saw Kara and Kerry approaching, both wearing one-piece swimsuits. She lifted herself easily out of the water. Kara placed her fingers to her temples and groaned.

"Heather, I want you to kill me," Kara said blankly. Kerry blinked.

"Sure, but why?" Heather shook herself off a bit, grinning.

"Because I'm never going to be able to look Larry in the face ever again," Kara returned with a dull voice. Heather and Kerry exchanged a look.

"Wow, did you manage to do something that screwed up your very first date _that bad_?" Kerry put her hands on her hips. "That's kind of impressive!"

Kara whimpered and looked away. She took her glasses off and put them on a folded up towel.

"H-hey, what happened?" Heather pursued. Kara just shook her head, looking upset.

Suddenly, Kerry gasped. "No... no way...! Did you... you didn't get your heat around him, did you!?" Kerry began to laugh and brace herself on Heather. "Oh no! That is _too funny_!" Heather didn't laugh, and pushed Kerry off of her. "What? It's a little funny." Kara's breaths were a bit shuddering, but she was under control.

"It's not funny, Kerry," Heather folded her arms. "You know when I got my heat? At school. I didn't have a crush, so I just wanted to jump on literally everyone. Then, someone gave me an excuse."

"Is that when you beat Chet up?" Kerry's eyes widened. "Because of your heat?"

"Yup, I managed to take the feelings and just go crazy," Heather's mouth was in a diagonal sort of shape. "Not too proud of it, but I was happy for the excuse to be sent home so I could get on the Chill Pill. Ten days off from school wasn't bad, either."

"So, you've been through it," Kara seemed to find understanding in Heather's eyes. Heather nodded.

"Eh, I don't think you should worry about it, Kara," Kerry's eyes narrowed and she smirked, "Larry's parents probably told him all about why you were acting so funny."

"Oh criminies!" Kara gave a shaky gasp and her paws came up to her head. "That's... that's even worse! What if... what if they DID tell him?" Kara anxiously began to chew on her claws.

"Hey, don't freak out," Heather shook her head. "We all know Larry, all right? He's a sweetheart. He'll understand. Bet he still likes you, even." Kerry shot her a warning look, but Heather pushed her chin up to challenge it. "Hey, you don't know what this stuff is like, Kerry."

"What? Sure I do!" Kerry gestured to her chest. "I've gotten my heat! I'm just glad our little girl has joined us fully-grown ladies!"

"It was the weekend when you got it," Heather sneered. "You got the Chill Pill within five minutes. You didn't have to deal with how it made you act around others." Kerry didn't have a response for that.

"Um, thanks, Heather," Kara said quietly. "I feel a little better..."

"Yeah, don't worry," Heather said. "Heat just makes you act like a weird, primal, horn-ball version of yourself."

"T-then I'm glad we're civilized, for both of our sake," Kara winced.

"Right?" Heather smirked, and they laughed. Kerry had a wry smirk and she tapped her foot.

* * *

-Eastern Mezzo Park-

Kara saw Larry show up with Chet at the next trick meet, and felt extremely apprehensive. She hid herself behind a large tree, sitting against it and looking away.

"Whoa, was that Kara?" Chet blinked. "What did you do, dude? Did you do something to her on your date?"

"What? No," Larry shook his head firmly.

"Then, uh, did _she_ do something?" Chet tilted his head.

"Nope," Larry said evenly. Chet looked skeptically over Larry's face, getting really close to it with his hands on his hips and even sniffing once.

"Dude, nice!" Chet grinned. "Way to work that poker face."

"I've been trying," Larry chuckled. "Anyway, she went behind that tree, right?" Larry mentally connected some of the trees near it in his head. "I'm going to go say hi. Don't wait up."

"Go for it, brody," Chet nodded. Larry scampered up a tree, then headed out to a branch and made his way over to the tree where Kara was. She was sitting down at the base, looking a bit despondent. Larry winced. He slid down the tree and Kara gasped and started as he landed right next to her.

"Hiya!" Larry said cheerfully.

"Nh..." Kara got up and started to try to leave, but Larry firmly grabbed her by the wrist.

"W-wait!" Larry said. "I uh, I'd like something from you."

Kara's ears blazed as she ran though about two dozen different options in her head. "W-what's that...?"

"A picture!" Larry pulled his phone out and chuckled. "I don't have a picture of you yet."

"Oh, I..." Kara looked at her own phone. "I don't really like taking selfies."

"I'll just take one of you now, then," Larry smiled. He backed up and got ready.

"Um..." Kara felt her pulse quicken quite a bit. She hoped it would calm back down. "Would you like me to take my glasses off?" She reached for them.

"No! Leave em on!" Larry said. "Will the camera pick up the color even if it isn't 'real'?"

"Y-yeah," Kara giggled, her mouth wobbling into a grin.

"Can I see your teeth?" Larry asked.

"Do you really want to see my braces?" Kara whined.

"Uh huh!" Larry waited patiently for a pretty, but shy smile to finally emerge from Kara, and he took the picture. Kara headed over.

"Um, did it come out okay?" She asked.

"Well yeah, it was of you, wasn't it?" Larry said slyly. Kara wondered if her pulse would _ever_ slow back down. "Hey, you want a picture of me, too?"

"Umm...!" Kara bit her lip. "I don't think that will be necessary."

"Oh..." Larry looked disappointed.

"Oh no, no!" Kara panicked, and without thinking opened a folder on her phone. "See? I already have one or two... ...dozen."

"Oh, what?" Larry chuckled. They were all rather nice shots of him doing tricks and relaxing. She seemed to have an eye for the candid shot.

"I kinda like taking pictures when you aren't looking," Kara admitted. "The shots come out so natural that way..."

"That's fine!" Larry nodded. "Hey, I'm gonna head back to everyone else and do the Squall Jump. You wanna come back too?"

"Um, sure!" Kara said. "Just give me a moment, okay?" Larry nodded and ran off. As soon as she was out of sight, Kara's long, ferret body drooped down slowly and she ended up on the ground, resting on her chin. Her eyes were half-lid, and she let out an enormous sigh. "Criminies, Larry. _Please_ stop being so adorable... and amazing..."


	21. Still Partners

-The Wilde-Hopps' Aardvark Rise Apartment-

Judy Wilde-Hopps grumbled as she awoke. She patted the bed rapidly with her paw before opening her eyes, but it was empty, save for her. She yawned, and let the breath out slowly into a sigh. Her fox wasn't in bed with her. He'd been getting more unreliable lately, Judy thought. Usually, she could rely on him to wake up second.

She blearily hopped out of bed and started to get ready for work. A faint smell on her way to the shower told her Nick was fixing breakfast, probably for their son, Larry. Judy got ready, got her uniform on, and headed into the main living/dining area.

"Hey Judy, blueberry pancakes okay?" Nick asked.

"Mhm, that's fine," responded the bunny. She noticed it was "Judy" more and more often lately. Judy had more pet names than she could count, but these days, she was catching fewer of them. Judy's adopted son, a gray squirrel named Larry, finished his last bite of breakfast and launched off his seat. "Whoa, where are you going in such a hurry, mister? It's your summer vacation."

"Dad said I could go to Chet's today and spend the night!" Larry grinned. Judy looked to Nick, who nodded slightly.

"All right, well, brush your teeth first before you head out," Judy said automatically, mentally wincing. What a "mom" thing to say, she reproved herself. She stopped herself short of asking him if she could lead him to the subway. Larry complied with her, then headed out the door after grabbing his things.

"Bye, love you!" Larry said, waving.

"Love you, Larry!" Nick called out.

"Love you...!" Judy agreed. Nick offered Judy her breakfast, and she ate.

"Thanks, Nick," Judy said with a small smile, which he returned.

Judy sighed slowly once between bites. It was Judy and Nick's seventh wedding anniversary that day. But, it seemed like any other day to Judy. She loved days like that; occasions to excuse celebration. But she hadn't thought of any plans or ideas, and Nick hadn't discussed any with her either. It was set to be just another day for the two.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters-

Judy meandered out of the bullpen after the morning briefing. She hadn't expected a party, or even an acknowledgement of her anniversary. Chief Bogo had always tolerated their relationship as long as it didn't interfere with their work, but it was never celebrated. Today, Nick and Judy were supposed to just be keeping their eyes on the traffic cameras in a few key locations where some accidents had occurred. Very exciting, Judy muttered mentally.

"Hey, Judy, I'm going to see if Skip can give me another set of eyes on the cameras," Nick said to her. "You know her setup is huge."

"Why Karen?" Judy wondered.

"I heard on TV before you woke up that there's a big pileup in the Rainforest District," Nick explained, "and Bogo said he wants us to go out there to divert traffic if necessary. Hey, could you get you and me some coffee?"

"Sure," Judy nodded, and broke off to the break room. Judy tried to put on a wry smile as she mentally called up how he liked his coffee.

Sweet as my bunny, he would say. Though of course, she didn't expect him to say that on the job. For her part, she liked her coffee a bit stronger.

The break room was empty as Judy came into it. After a moment's contemplation, she took out her phone and called her mother on MuzzleTime.

Bonnie Hopps answered on the second ring. "Good morning, sweetie! What's the matter? You normally never call this early. Are your ears droopy again?" She looked to make sure. "They are!"

"Hi mom," Judy smiled gently. "It's just, I feel kind of weird today. It's my seventh wedding anniversary with Nick and... and... I got him _ties_. I got him _ties_ , mother. Oh my heavens, I am so lame..." She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Well, what's wrong with that?" Bonnie grinned, continuing to make some breakfast for the endless droves of hungry bunnies that were her children. "I know Nicholas likes ties."

"I don't know mom," Judy's teeth showed. "I just... I feel like the spark may have gone out from our relationship. I don't... know if Nick even remembers its our anniversary."

"Oh honey," Bonnie shook her head. "You do know Nick is, what, eight years older than you, right?"

"I know," Judy nodded slightly, starting to actually make the coffee for the two.

" _And_ a fox?" Bonnie continued.

Judy sighed in mild irritation. "Mom, I thought we were past this."

"No, I don't mean it like that, Judy," Bonnie explained, "I just mean, well... you know we bunnies are known for our... ah... stamina."

Judy finally laughed a bit. "Guess so."

"Love's like a fire, sweetheart," Bonnie started. "No matter how it starts, there's usually that big, bright, intense flare up at the beginning. It burns so bright, it's almost unbearable. Impossible to quench. But as time goes on, the fire gets softer. Warmer, more comfortable. But, and you listen here, as long as there's fuel for the fire, it won't go out."

"Mm," Judy smiled serenely. "That's just what I needed to hear. I should probably go though, mom, before someone else comes in for their coffee."

"Okay, Judy, have a good day," Bonnie began, then added, "and, oh! Be sure you bring Larry down here sometimes to visit, okay? He's my grandkit too, after all! Mary shouldn't get to have all the fun!"

"Okay, mom," Judy laughed again, "we'll visit soon. I love you."

"Love you too, Bun-bun," Bonnie said, ending the call. She finished setting up her coffee, then worked on Nick's. She took both coffees in her paws and headed out of the break room.

"You think this will clear up by early evening?" She heard Nick's voice coming from Karen Skippel's station.

"Yeah, I think they got it under control for now, you and Judy might not even have to deploy," Karen, an arctic hare technical officer, replied.

"We're not even going out, then?" Judy winced, handing Nick his coffee. He sipped it.

"Thanks, Judy, and maybe not," Nick shrugged. "Not every day can be a winner."

"Yeah," Judy tried not to sound disappointed, "I guess you're right."

* * *

-Savanna Central Subway Station-

It was, indeed, rather a dull day at the ZPD for Nick and Judy. They headed out of the police station, walking near each other on the way to descend into the subway station. Judy barely registered Nick taking off his tie before they even got onto their subway train.

"Uh?" Judy yelped as she felt Nick's hand tug at her wrist, preventing her from boarding their train. Nick pulled Judy close, and started tying his tie around her eyes. Judy couldn't see, and Nick made sure the knot in the tie was tight and secure.

"We're not going home just yet," Nick explained, smirking. Judy's heart accelerated in surprise.

"Really?" Her nose started to twitch and her ears started to move in excitement and to try to sense what was going on. Nick spun her around twice and then picked her up so she wouldn't know which train they were getting on. Judy squeaked as she was picked up; her sense of direction was disoriented.

Nick got a lot of strange looks as other animals on the train observed a fox cop carrying a gleeful-looking, blindfolded bunny cop. He blissfully ignored them.

"No cheating, now," Nick said, holding one of his arms tightly around her ears. Nick pointed his muzzle down at her and hummed smoothly into her big bunny ears. Judy was pleasantly distracted enough to not hear what station was called out when Nick carried her off. He couldn't block all of her senses, of course. She felt it was humid out, and raining. Little plunks of wetness dropped onto Judy's fur, and she flinched from the first few. She was still excited; trying to recall where rain was forecast for the day. Nick's arm instead moved across Judy's nose, as the smell might have given it away to her. It sure did to him.

Judy happily inhaled, taking in her fox's scent. It felt like forever till Nick finally got to where he wanted Judy, as he had to take her on quite a winding path to get where he was going. Finally, he came to a halt and set Judy down.

"Carrots, you saved my _life_ ," Nick said in a familiar, hushed voice.

Judy felt a chill, shivering lightly.

Nick placed his hands on his tie, removing the blindfold from Judy.

"I said that," Nick started, "right about..."

* * *

-Near Tujunga and Vine, Rainforest District-

"There," Nick pointed out into the distance to a random cluttering of vines hanging off in the expanse. "Of course, the vines are a lot different now, but..." Judy smiled widely at where Nick had brought her. It was the scene of one of the most intense nights of their lives; where their lives hung in the balance, literally, more than once.

"You saved my life here, as well," Nick said, touching his foot lightly twice on the wood they were standing on. "That kitty just wasn't listening to reason."

"Oh, Nick," Judy smiled brightly, "you saved my life here, too! Or at least, my job. I was so crazy; willing to throw my whole life's dream away just because I got one chance to prove myself. You... you helped me hold on to that chance."

"Well you sure proved yourself to me here," Nick grinned. "I just had to lay it out in ways that stubborn buffalo could understand. Can't believe we both still work for the guy!" Judy giggled. Nick walked towards the end of the pier, where the sky cars loaded up. "I hope you remember this part." Nick grinned, opening the door to the sky car. "After you, Officer Wilde-Hopps."

"How could I forget?" Judy said warmly, giving a tiny little curtsy and getting into the car with Nick following her. Judy had a small grin on, looking at Nick for what he would say next. He wasn't looking directly at her; instead out into the sky, where the sun was starting to fade into the horizon.

"First time I opened up like that to any animal," Nick nodded distantly, shifting his mouth a bit. "Never thought it'd be to a dumb bunny."

Judy laughed pleasantly. "Oh, _Nick_. Bringing me here. You're still a 'redwood', aren't you? Just a big tree, full of sap." She placed her paw on Nick's arm. The first time they had done this in the sky car, he had pulled away. Now, he stepped closer.

"Judy, I have to come clean," Nick shook his head. Judy felt a burst of distress. "This? This is it."

"What do you mean?" Judy tilted her head, her ears dropping.

Nick gave an embarrassed sneer, looking away. "This is all I could think of for our seventh anniversary." Judy gasped and her ears shot back up. "I'm just awful at coming up with gifts. Flowers? Transient. Card? Oh sure, let me have a greeting card company tell you 'I love you' on a scrap of paper. Fancy dinner? We do that at least once a month anyway." He sighed. "I just... ugh. It's so hard coming up with something that'd be special..."

Judy's hand moved from Nick's arm to his hand, which was resting on the edge of the car. She gripped it firmly, but then her grip softened. "This feels pretty special to me, Nicholas..." The two shared a warm, tender look.

"So!" Nick grinned slyly. "Let me tell you one thing I've always admired about you." Judy gave a somewhat bashful smile. "You carved out your own future with those tiny, bunny claws. You never accepted no for an answer, and never pulled any punches. Or drop kicks. Ever."

Judy looked away a bit, running her hand through her ears, but they refused to stay down. "Well, to be like that, I had to be more than a little crazy..."

There was a moment of quiet. "Seven years," Nick started, "you know, seven is supposed to be a lucky number, right?" Judy nodded. "And I'm with the luckiest thing to have ever happened to me." Judy's bashful smile returned and she felt her perked-up ears warming. She drew closer to Nick, putting her arm around his waist. Nick wrapped his around her shoulders in return, drawing her a bit closer still. "Unlike you, I didn't have anything figured out. I was just blown by the wind hither and thither. Just waited for my circumstances to change so I could come up with a scheme to adapt to them. And then _you_ happened." Nick gave her a small squeeze with his arm. "My lucky bunny."

Judy hummed in delight, rubbing her cheek against Nick's side. "I can feel the fire getting warmer..."

"The fire?" Nick blinked. He shot a cautious look at the traffic below the two. There were no accidents in sight, and he released a sigh of relief.

"The fire of our relationship," Judy clarified. "I was scared of it getting... growing... er... tepid..."

"Not going _out_ , I hope?" Nick met her eyes with worry in his own. Judy shook her head, smiling reassuringly.

"Oh no, nothing like that," Judy giggled, "you know me though. I always rush into life at full speed. I was... afraid we were slowing down."

Nick put on Judy's favorite sly, smug look. "Has your fox been under-performing lately? Would you like to fill out a survey and mark needed improvement areas?"

Judy was amused and burst out a giggle. "No! No!" She pushed weakly against Nick to move away from him, but he redoubled his arm's tension and drew her into a big hug, to which she held on tight. "I'd say you're doing just swell... you're still the lovable, goofy dumb fox I met twelve years ago. I guess sometimes one of us just needs to remember to poke at the fire to rekindle it, huh...?" Judy stared up at Nick with love-struck eyes, and Nick smooched her nose tenderly.

"Speaking of, with Larry not home for the evening..." Nick grinned devilishly.

"Ooh, I nearly always love the ends to these sentences!" Judy bounced up a bit in the hug a few times, flashing an excited smile.

"Think I could... rub my bunny's feet?" Nick said warmly. "You know, for luck. Don't ever want to be less lucky than what gave me this amazing bunny."

Judy bit her lip with longing. "Well, it's a good thing Larry will be at Chet's place, because you know the sounds I tend to make when you're rubbing my feet..."

"If you think _those_ sounds are embarrassing," Nick showed his teeth in his grin, "just wait until what comes after that..."

Judy squealed in anticipation, stamping both of her feet rapidly. The sky car shook a bit and Nick's eyes went wide with alarm. "Oops! Sorry...!"

* * *

-The Wilde-Hopps' Aardvark Rise Apartment-

Nick was panting, and he drank from a water glass he had thought to put on their nightstand. Judy somehow didn't even seem winded.

"Whew... are you _sure_ it's been twelve years since we first met?" Nick shook his head. "I don't think you've aged a day."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere," Judy turned her eyes away and half-lid them.

"Fluff, I've _been_ everywhere I wanted to go tonight," Nick winked. Judy's eyes were barely open as she gave him a very wide grin, but then they flew open and her ears perked up.

"Oh!" Judy popped up out of bed suddenly and jumped off. "I almost forgot to give you YOUR anniversary gift!"

"Are you sure you didn't just give me that?" Nick gave a huff of exhaustion, then his eyes magnetized to her bending over to collect something from the bottom drawer of their dresser. "Nope, I was wrong. Today just keeps on giving. Never gonna get tired of that view."

"Oh, _go on_ ," Judy rolled her eyes, handing him a small box and hopping back up onto the bed with him. "Now, uh, don't get mad at me..."

Nick opened the box and saw a small collection of handsome-looking ties.

"Ties, huh?" Nick chuckled. Judy cringed. "Well, I do like ties!" He took one of them out and started tying it proudly.

"Nick!" Judy laughed at him and his state of "dress".

"I like this one," Nick looked self-confident and nodded.

"And I like... _this_ one..." Judy yanked the tie and drew Nick in for a kiss. Nick tried to pretend he wasn't expecting this, but the intensity of the kiss proved otherwise. They both hummed into it in their happiness.

"What do you know?" Nick asked, both of their eyes closed as they gently nuzzled each other following their kiss. "I like this one, too."


	22. Seething Partners

-Mary Anne Wilde's Rainforest District Home-

"Mom! Dad!" The voice of Larry called out as he opened the door to Mary Anne Wilde's home. Mary slowly got to her feet, taking her cane in her paw, the vixen's advanced years slowing her down quite a bit. "You two have fun?"

"Uh huh, sure did!" Judy Wilde-Hopps said, giving the gray squirrel a hug. She gave a small sigh, feeling slightly relieved that even as a teenager, he wasn't against being hugged by his adoptive parents.

"I'm sure you would have liked the cruise, kiddo," Nick gave a small, apologetic smile, "sorry we didn't take you along."

"Oh now, Nicholas," Mary gave a small smile, "it was your tenth wedding anniversary after all. We all need some time to ourselves on such special occasions."

"Yeah, staying with grandma is cool," Larry gave a happy shrug, then a knowing smirk, "besides, I bet you two had more 'fun' on the cruise without me, am I right?" Judy's mouth hung slightly agape and Nick shot an accusatory look at his mother.

Mary chuckled at the stare. "I did not say a thing, Nicholas." Nick turned his gaze back to the squirrel.

Larry held his arms out. "Aw, come on, dad, I wasn't born yesterday!" Nick smirked and shook his head.

"That may be the case, but it's still not polite to-" Judy interrupted herself by looking at the table Mary had risen from, "are those _poker_ chips!?"

"Oh yeah, grandma and I were playing pokerrrrr-uh..." Larry looked off to the side. "Uh, blackjack? No wait, hearts! That was it."

"And this is why you can't win at poker, little squirrel," Mary laughed, "you are a terrible liar."

"Not that that's something I'm eager for him to learn!" Judy said with concern.

"As if you two are the most pure-hearted little angels," Mary smirked with her eyes lidded.

"I'm seeing where the Wilde snarkiness comes from," Judy returned the smirk, folding her arms.

"Mother, poker? Really?" Nick shot a disparaging look to his aged mother.

"Oh come on," Mary chuckled swiping the air gently with her paw. "You were doing less savory things when you were younger than him. It's important to have a good poker face in this world. And this one's still needs a bit of work!" She gently tapped her cane on Larry's cheek.

"Awh, grandma, I'm trying to get better," Larry groaned.

"Well it's a good thing we weren't playing for anything but chips, or else you'd have lost that tiny shirt!" Mary chuckled.

"You about ready to go back to our place, Larry?" Judy asked.

"Okay, mom," Larry nodded, jumping onto his chair, then the table, then walking over to give Mary a kiss on the cheek.

"Aw, thank you dear, please come back soon!" Mary smiled.

"You sure you're doing okay here by yourself, mother?" Nick asked with concern. "Think we should hire someone to help you, maybe?"

"Oh, we can have that discussion another time, Nicholas," Mary shook her head, giving him and Judy small kisses as well, "I have your number if anything goes wrong."

"If you're sure," Judy nodded. She, Nick, and Larry left the house as Mary waved after them.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, Chief Bogo's Office-

"You wanted to see us, sir?" Judy entered the buffalo's office with Nick after the morning briefing.

"Yes, hope your vacation was pleasant and all that," Chief Bogo said dryly, looking over some papers. "I'm afraid I have a rather dubious welcome-home present for you two. A bit of news. Dawn Bellwether was released from jail yesterday." Judy made a face of distaste.

"Oh, goodie," Nick said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Right, well, thought you'd enjoy that," Bogo said just as flatly, "also this: almost as soon as she got into the public eye, she was attacked."

"Attacked?" Judy blinked and her eyes registered the barest note of concern. "Attacked how?"

"By a Night Howler pellet, if you can believe that," Chief Bogo explained. Judy gasped.

"You've heard it said that the goddess Karma is a female canine entity, right?" Nick smirked, his hands behind his back.

"This isn't funny, Wilde-Hopps," Bogo grunted, checking some papers. "She wasn't able to injure anyone before she was detained, but regardless of our feelings about this... sheep... Night Howler being in circulation again is a serious concern."

Nick did not like where this conversation was headed. "But, you've already got some of our guys on the case, right?" Nick held his arms and paws out cautiously.

"I do," Chief Bogo drew in a large breath and sighed, "and I am loathe to ask you two this, but-"

"You want us to interview Dawn, don't you?" Judy finished.

Chief Bogo's mouth twisted. "Yes. As you two have the most experience with the first Night Howler case from fifteen years ago."

Judy shrugged. "Okay, sure. Is she still in the hospital? Nick and I can go visit her right now if you like."

"We can- _WHAT_?" Nick did a double take, glaring at Judy in astonishment. "Lest you forget, my dear partner, she tried to _kill_ you. With _me_." Judy smirked with a hint of malice.

"I do have reservations about this," Chief Bogo confirmed. "You are to interview her, not interrogate. She's unfortunately the victim here."

"Oh, I know," Judy said in an airy voice. "I've been trying to be a bit more subtle about my vindictiveness lately."

"This from a bunny who's idea of subtle involves mouse riots and train explosions," Chief Bogo said flatly.

Judy laughed nervously. "Haha, noted! Don't worry, Dawn will survive the interview unharmed!"

"Keep her in line, fox," Chief Bogo took his eyes off the two.

"Me?" Nick gestured to himself incredulously. "How about someone stronger, like Grizzoli or Francine? They _might_ be able to hold her back."

"Just sharpen that tongue of yours and cut her down a peg if she gets uppity," Chief Bogo grumbled, "and get out of my office."

"This is shaping up to be a fun day!" Judy smirked, rubbing her hands together.

"You know, I used to _like_ your definition of 'fun'," Nick rolled his eyes, heading out of the office with her. "Getting into a shouting match with a psycho sheep? Not sure about that one."

"I can handle her," Judy said dangerously.

* * *

-Zootopia Mercy General Hospital-

"Oh, great," Dawn Bellwether said with equal parts disdain and disgust as Nick and Judy headed into her room. Nick held an even look on his face while Judy looked rather insufferably smug. Dawn sucked at her teeth as she lay back in her hospital bed.

"Why hello there, former assistant mayor and briefly actual mayor Bellwether," Judy said obnoxiously, "what's it been, fifteen years?"

"Is this your idea of a joke?" Dawn sneered at her. "Get me a taste of my own 'medicine' and then come here to mock me?"

"Oh, don't pin that on me," Judy smiled sweetly. "I was on a cruise with my husband at the time." Judy looked lovingly with her eyes half-lidded at Nick.

"The fox from... an officer... your..." Dawn's incredulous look faded, then she started to look like she was dry heaving.

"Yes, yes, we all know how you feel about predators," Nick grumbled in annoyance.

"Any more breeches of the natural order you'd like to inform me of?" Dawn asked the smirking bunny.

"Breaking laws, you mean? I suppose you wouldn't know anything about that," Judy breezily gave a light laugh.

"Please. A predator and prey together? That's vile. You wouldn't have gotten away with that had I stayed in office," Dawn grumbled lowly.

"Yes, well, your irrelevant opinion aside, we're here about the crime that happened to you, to see if we can narrow down who might have done it," Nick said with barely masked irritation.

"Though that must be a very long list," Judy bat her eyes.

"They couldn't have sent _any_ other officers to do this?" Dawn shook her head. "I have little faith that you two of all mammals would want to find whoever did this to me unless it was to praise them."

"Oh, on the contrary," Judy looked hurt, "unlike you, Nick and I actually stand for justice and what Zootopia believes in. We're just here to do our jobs. You know, if you had kept to doing _yours_ maybe you wouldn't have had to rot for a decade and a half in jail. Think of the time you've wasted! You could have been winning political victories! Spreading your deplorable message! Maybe it would have gotten to the point where you ironically fell in love with a predator and had to hide it from your brainwashed voters and it would have exploded in a huge scandal; _that_ would have been fun to watch!"

Dawn ground her teeth in fury. "Get out."

"I think you're enjoying this a bit too much, Judy," Nick had the barest of smirks.

"We're not going anywhere, Dawn, so why don't you just start talking about who, besides every predator in Zootopia and several preys, would want to do this to you," Judy folded her arms and finally looked serious.

"Fine," Dawn relented, thrusting her head back against her pillow in bed. "I received a lot of lovely 'fan' mail from you hateful preds right before I got out of jail. I think my favorite was from an anonymous but well-written letter that said they would 'ice' me if I ever went near Renato Manchas again."

Nick and Judy exchanged blank looks, but their eyes carried a note of concern to each other.

Dawn thought for a moment. "Anyway, if you want my opinion on all of the people I ordered to get darted, it's probably the Ottertons." Nick and Judy looked shocked.

"Um, we did _not_ want your opinion, thank you," Judy frowned.

Dawn smiled smugly as she saw she finally scored a hit on Judy's mood. "Oh please, Judy. Who's the one that's been in jail all this time? I've had plenty of opportunity to think of all the revenge scenarios that could be wrought against me. Of those involving Night Howlers, who would have easy access to them?"

"Not a couple of law-abiding florists, that's for sure," Nick folded his arms. "Night Howlers are illegal for even their few beneficial uses, thanks to you."

"Something being illegal never stopped anyone before," Dawn smirked.

"Maybe not you," Judy sneered, "but the Ottertons are-"

"Oh blah blah blah," Dawn rolled her eyes and opened and closed the fingers of one of her hands, "all they need is means and opportunity. Anyway, I don't have any better ideas, so why don't you do your little job somewhere else?"

"We will," Judy was frowning, "and trust me, we're doing it just to spite you."

Dawn looked confused, she tapped one of her fingers on her chin. "Yeah, bringing a pred in for my sake is supposed to be sticking it to _me_? I'm not seeing it."

"No one's above the law, Dawn," Nick nodded. "It all has to catch up to us sometime or another. I'll take down a fellow predator for doing this crime to you, because I'm not a biased miscreant."

"I'm 'flattered', pred," Dawn looked at him with hatred. "But what's the public going to think if you do catch the criminal?"

"Hopefully, that the ZPD isn't so biased as to turn their heads the other way just because the victim is a hateful waste of wool," Judy snapped, then motioned her head to Nick and the door, and they left. Dawn was left with her mouth agape, offended.

"Well, I'm a bit ambivalent about that," Nick shrugged. "Talking to her is like talking to a brick wall, and it'll take more than a big bad wolf to blow that thing down."

"Nothing I said was untrue, Nick," Judy explained. "Some mammals may balk at us helping Bellwether, but what if other small-time criminals see that the law will be on their side as long as they are the ones wronged?"

Nick actually smiled, taking his phone out and typing into it. "Nice to know that in fifteen years that wide-eyed idealism hasn't narrowed, given how much time we spend with our eyes half-open."

Judy half-lid her eyes reflexively in response to this, barely smiling.

* * *

-A Taste of Pawaii-

Nick, Judy, Larry, and his ferret girlfriend Kara all sat down at a table at the Pawaiian restaurant that was making quite a name for itself in Savanna Central. It offered exotic and often spicy foods from the reptilian, island nation of Pawaii. The Wilde-Hopps knew a server at the restaurant; a pleasant leopard gecko named Jiji. She looked delighted to see them, as they specifically asked for her.

"Hello! What a surprise it is to see you here!" Jiji smiled her winsome smile at them. "Ah, I do not believe I have met this ferret! I am Jiji, yes?"

"My name is Kara," the honey-and-white colored ferret said politely. "I've never seen a leopard gecko before!"

"I hope it is not the last time we will meet," Jiji said, and gave Larry an inquisitive look.

"Yeah, she's my girlfriend," Larry confirmed, nodding. Kara gave a shy smile that he was so forthcoming with this.

"How wonderful!" Jiji seemed pleased. "As a carnivore, much of our menu is open to you. There are many foods to try, yes? Hmhm, shall I get the usual for you three?" The bunny, fox, and squirrel nodded. "Water for you three, yes? And you?"

"Ah, I'll have water as well," Kara nodded, looking the menu over as Jiji left. "Wow, everything's in reptilian. They don't even offer that as an elective in high school... lots of this stuff looks really interesting, though, hm..."

"So, Kara, your teeth are finally out of prison, yeah?" Nick smirked at her.

"Well, kinda," Kara laughed, taking her retainer out. "I may not have to wear braces anymore but I wear the retainer so often they might as well. My orthodontist basically performed a miracle on me." She instinctively ran her tongue across her freed teeth.

"They're looking very nice, Kara," Judy smiled. "Love your new glasses, too." Kara took off and squinted at her new glasses which had shorter, clear rectangular lenses and soft pink rims.

"I thought the neon pink fully rimmed ones were a bit too nerdy, even for me, right Larry?" Kara giggled.

"Uh, I like them both?" Larry shrugged.

"Good answer," Nick chuckled as their waters were brought out.

"Have you had a chance to look at the menu?" Jiji tilted her head at Kara.

"Um, I don't even want to try pronouncing this, else I'd feel kind of stupid..." Kara pointed to a place on the menu near the end. Jiji began to look nervous. "Could I have this?"

"Ah... well," Jiji's eyes darted to and fro, "I am afraid that is, ah, just a section of the menu, not an actual item..." Kara felt her ears grow hot, and Nick and Judy couldn't help from laughing. Larry had to bite his tongue and look away to keep himself from joining them.

"Okay, I see feeling kind of stupid will be unavoidable..." Kara grumbled. "Do you recommend anything?"

"If you can tolerate spice, I would recommend the triple cricket dinner, it comes with three types of spicy gravy drizzled over three skewers of crickets, very tasty!" Jiji said brightly. "It is my favorite, yes?"

"Okay, let me try that," Kara said, trying not to feel self-conscious. Jiji nodded and gathered their menus. Kara decided to quickly change the subject. "So um, I heard Dawn Bellwether was released from jail recently?"

"Ugh, she was?" Larry made a face. "I was hoping she'd stay in there longer."

"You know about Bellwether, Kara?" Nick looked surprised.

"Oh yeah, the Night Howler incident actually recently made its way into the Zootopia History curriculum," Kara smiled. "I'm basically eating dinner with a couple of historical figures!"

"That's uh, a bit humbling," Judy looked a tiny bit meek. "You never told me about that, Larry."

"Well, I thought you knew!" Larry shrugged, smirking. "I always ace those tests because of the stories you've told me about that wacko."

"So uh, I guess the ZPD knows about that incident where she herself was attacked by the Night Howler pellet right out of jail?" Kara inquired. Nick and Judy nodded slowly.

"Ha, serves her right!" Larry said.

"Larry!" Judy looked at him with a reproving face.

"Are you going to scold our son for his righteous indignation?" Nick teased. "Because if we had a pocket mirror I could show you where he gets that from."

Judy rolled her eyes, grinning. "Okay, okay. Now, you're not going to like this, but Chief Bogo actually put us in charge of the investigation as to who attacked her."

"What? Why?" Larry seemed offended. "You told me she nearly killed both of you!"

"As police officers we have to uphold the law, Larry," Judy said firmly, "we don't get to choose who it's applied to."

"Well ugh... couldn't the Chief have given it to someone else?" Larry folded his arms.

"He could have, but no one knows the Night Howlers better than us," Nick explained. Kara shifted in her seat, looking a bit uncomfortable from where she'd driven the conversation. "The police can't just look the other way if something goes wrong, even if it's for a loathsome, hateful sheep."

"It's a horrible example, for you and for the rest of Zootopia," Judy agreed. Larry didn't know whether to marvel or be disgusted by this. Jiji brought their food out and there was a small silence.

"Psychologically speaking, I think they're right, Larry," Kara nodded, carefully trying some of her food. "Ooh, not bad. I mean, uh, hatred begets hatred, right? If no one takes a stand to stop hating, it will just keep spreading."

"Not to say we're going to become friends with that awful mammal," Judy smirked.

"Hm, so Night Howlers. Hey mom, you busted Duke Weaselton, right? For having them?" Larry dug into his own food, which was thick noodles with fresh spinach, other crunchy vegetables, and soy sauce.

"That's right," Judy smirked sheepishly. "What an occasion that was."

"Kara's good friends with his daughter," Larry said offhandedly. "Maybe she can get her to ask him if he knows how they've come back."

"Uh, this is the first I'm hearing of this," Judy's brow furrowed. "You know Duke Weaselton's daughter?" Kara nodded slowly.

"Hey, I knew about this, Larry came clean to me about who he was hanging out with," Nick shook his head. "She seems decent, from what I've heard. The daughter shouldn't have to inherit the sins of the father, after all."

"I guess not," Judy's mouth twisted, and she ate some of her food. Kara turned to Larry, looking displeased. Larry's eyes grew wider.

"That's absolutely right, Larry!" Kara said firmly. "Why would Kerry know anything about the Night Howlers? You think just because the Weaseltons have had dealings with them _once_ that they're automatically involved?"

"Well, when it comes to the Weaseltons, the extended family has been in trouble with Night Howlers... more than once, actually," Judy said carefully, holding a finger up tentatively. Kara looked surprised.

"Well, I know Kerry's not into anything bad," Kara said firmly.

"I'm not saying she is, or even her dad," Larry shrugged, "but maybe I can help get mom or dad a clue from asking her."

Nick chuckled as he brought his fork to his muzzle. "Uh, kiddo, you're not a cop or anything. You don't have to do a thing. Just be a kid. Er, teenager. Kinda hard to tell since barely anything's changed on you but your voice." Larry smirked wryly.

"Hey dad, if I can help, I want to," Larry explained, "I'll prove we can be better than that dumb sheep."

"That's the spirit," Judy giggled. Nick looked at her. "What, it couldn't hurt for him to ask, could it?"

"Ah, I'll try to get together with her and Heather for lunch tomorrow," Kara nodded. "Things between us have been a bit strained lately as our personalities have become more distinct from each other, but I think we're still friends... ish..."

"Okay cool, I'll see you at lunch tomorrow, then," Larry smiled.

"Aw, our very own ZPD Junior Detective," Judy clasped her paws together adoringly.

"Don't push it, Judy," Nick smirked.

* * *

-Squeakendale High School, Lunch Period-

"Well, look who it is!" Kerry Weaselton gave an impressed grin as she saw Larry sit down across from her, Kara, and a white stoat named Heather. "The Larry I met in sixth grade wouldn't have had the guts to sit down with one girl, let alone three!"

"It never hurts to be confident," Heather grinned. "Is Chet's attitude rubbing off on you?"

"Well, he's not calling himself the Lare-ster yet or anything, so maybe not," Kara giggled.

"As much as I'd like to say I'm here just to have lunch with these three lovely ladies, I'm actually here on business," Larry gave a small smirk. The three mustelids gave him little smiles.

"Oh, look at _you_!" Kerry said, lacing her fingers together and resting her chin on them. "What a little charmer! What can we do for you? Homework help? You should know by now that that's Kara's field. Need someone beat up? I'm sure Heather can take care of it. And well, if you need someone taken down a peg or two emotionally, that would be _my_ specialty." Kerry looked at her claws of one hand smugly.

"Well, I do need your help specifically," Larry nodded. "Do you know anything about Night Howlers?"

Kerry blinked. "What's this, all of a sudden? Those are illegal, you know." Her jaw dropped. "Wait, is this because my dad's... Hey! Listen. Just because my dad's the only one of ours who isn't a freakin' _paragon_ doesn't mean I know anything about any crime!" She folded her arms, looking at the other three. "I mean what do we got here. Your dad's a cop, hers is a medical examiner, and Heather's is a sports hero. So right, mine's a petty criminal. _Obviously_ I must know about whatever crime's happening in Zootopia."

Larry paused for a moment while there was an uncomfortable silence. "Well I notice you didn't quite answer the question."

"Kuh!" Kerry leaned over, placing a a paw on the table. "You have some nerve, squirrel! I think I liked you better when you were more timid." Larry kept his face even.

Heather turned her head to look at Kerry. "You're being evasive, Kerry. Do you know anything, or not?"

Kerry tilted her head upwards, letting loose a sigh of aggravation. "Fine. I'll tell you what I know. But don't let any of this get out to anyone else in school, okay? I'm doing my best to keep my _own_ nose clean."

Larry nodded rapidly in agreement. "Right, you can just call me secret squirrel." He smiled, but it quickly waned when all three of the mustelids gave him curious looks. "Uh, on second thought, maybe don't call me that."

"My stupid _aunt_ is back into Night Howler dealing," Kerry rolled her eyes, pushing slightly away from the table. "Can you believe that? Aunt Duchess had barely got out of jail for the same thing and's already back into it."

"Jeepers," Kara said, putting a paw to her mouth. "What's she want with them?"

"Eh, what else? To make money," Kerry rubbed the claws of one hand together. "That stupid weasel hasn't done an honest day's work in her life. She tried to... ugh... she tried to get _me_ to sell them."

"Here at school?" Larry asked in a harsh whisper. "Is she trying to get into even more trouble? Why on Earth would anyone buy Night Howlers anyway?"

"Well I'm guessing straight-edge kids like you wouldn't know this, but..." Kerry began, looking off to the side, "Night Howlers are making a comeback as an illicit substance. There's a trend where you chew just one leaf from a Night Howler. It gives you an aggressive buzz, lowers your inhibitions, and goes away after a few hours. They're trying to give em to jocks and kids who are too afraid to make the moves on someone they got the hots for." Kara and Larry both looked alarmed. Heather, meanwhile, looked furious.

"What!?" The stoat angrily slammed the table, then quieted down when she attracted attention from some other kids. "You're saying I've had to put up with cheaters in school sports and haven't even known about it? I come by all my strength and skill honestly!"

"Yeah, I knew this'd cheese you off; it's why I haven't said anything about it," Kerry grimaced. "Anyway, I've never touched the stuff. I have a reputation to keep up too, and I'm not gonna sully it for some dirty drug money."

"Hm, so I guess the important thing is that someone could get their paws on Night Howler if they really wanted to," Larry nodded, looking like he was going to get up. "Thanks for the information, Kerry."

"H-hey, Larry," Kerry said tentatively, "could you not have your folks bust my aunt unless she's directly involved? And uh, c'mon, just sit with us for lunch this time. You sit with Chet like every day. Look, it's your girlfriend, c'mon." Kerry gave a nervous look over to Kara. Kara waved softly.

"Okay, I promise, I won't have them go directly after your aunt," Larry nodded, and smiled at Kara. "And yeah, eating lunch with the ladies sounds fun."

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters-

Nick poked his head into Judy's cubicle. "Skip said she had something for us, Judy."

Judy hopped off of her chair and sighed. "Can you believe this? A brand new generation getting into Night Howlers. It's like we haven't learned anything."

"Well, to be fair, most of the kids that are 'in the market' were babies or didn't even exist during the Night Howler incident," Nick folded his arms. "The distributors are preying on the ignorance and insecurities of their buyers."

"How repulsive. Abhorrent, even," Judy made a face, and Nick nodded. The two stood next to Karen Skippel's workstation, the arctic hare lead technical officer of the ZPD HQ.

"Hey, you two," Karen started, "Bellwether was attacked again yesterday, but this time we have it on camera. The suspect is no criminal mastermind, that's for sure." She gestured at the footage. Dawn was in a store, shopping, when a tiny blip of a projectile hit her cheek and she started to go savage; the large security on staff was able to detain her easily, and then the video ended. "Even though this video is in black and white, the frames-per-second rate is good enough for me to estimate that the projectile was delivered very low-velocity. Maybe some sort of straw, even."

"Is the suspect on the camera?" Nick narrowed his eyes, looking at the footage. Karen nodded, backing up the footage to the point of attack and pointing at the projectile's origin. Judy's jaw dropped as she took in the shape of the suspect's body, which was unmistakable even though they were wearing all black.

"No, no no no!" Judy put her hands to her cheeks and tugged downwards. "That could... that could only be an otter!" Nick cringed a bit.

"The Ottertons were a part of the Night Howler incident," Karen recalled, nodding, "it's likely one of them."

"Rgh!" Judy whirled around, looking away from the screen. "This can't be. We gotta... we gotta see if some other officers can interview them instead..."

"After that big old speech we gave to ourselves, Dawn, and Larry?" Nick sighed a bit. "We'll be hypocrites if we back down now, just because they're-"

"They're lovely people, Nick," Judy protested, her mouth twisting. "They did the flowers at our _wedding_. How could we accuse them of-"

"Skip?" Nick turned his head to Karen. "Do you find me irritating?"

"Yup," Karen smirked. Nick grinned, then turned to Judy.

"How about you?" Nick gestured to Judy with his paw.

"You can be uh... a bit annoying at times, I guess?" Judy shrugged. "But deep down you're a lovely, wonderful fox, and that's why I married you." She looked very honest when saying this. Karen smirked and rolled her eyes.

"Exactly," Nick pointed at her. "Just because of who I appear to be, even to the vast majority of people, won't change who I am on the inside."

"Nick!" Judy's jaw dropped. "Are you seriously suggesting that the Ottertons are evil, deep down?"

"No," Nick shook his head firmly. "I'm suggesting they have the capacity to want to cause Bellwether to feel what they felt. In a way, it's a kind of justice, though illegal."

"I just..." Judy held her arms out helplessly, "I just don't want Dawn to be _right_. She's the one who suggested the Ottertons in the first place."

"Well, maybe you of all people could get them to confess if they did do it," Karen shrugged. "If not them, we basically have no leads. We'll have to go bark up an otter tree- _another_. No, no, I did not just say that..." Karen put her head in her paws.

"Ah!" Nick pointed and grinned broadly at Karen. Judy had a weak smile.

"I can't believe this," Judy grumbled. "We're about to go treat old friends like enemies, while we treat our most hated foe like a cherished pal. Another fine mess I've gotten us into."

"That's my wife," Nick grinned. "Always charging in without thinking." Nick hoped Judy would come back at him with a snappy quip, but his grin wavered as she just closed her eyes and let out a slow sigh.

"Honestly, I don't know why you put up with me sometimes," Judy said in a hollow tone.

"Got a list on my phone, actually," Nick brought out his phone and waved it.

"No, I don't believe that," Karen said, "and also, smack me if I ever get that sappy."

"Let's go drive to the Otterton's, I guess," Judy smirked softly, heading off with Nick. As they broke from Karen, Judy's head slowly turned to look at Nick. "You don't... you don't _really_ have a list like that, do you?"

"Do I have a list detailing the things I love about my bunny?" Nick stated evenly. "Why yes, yes I do."

Judy had a small, embarrassed smile. "I um... I don't suppose you'd mind reading me a few of those on our way over?"

"I'd be happy to," Nick grinned, taking his phone back out.

* * *

-A Bevy of Flowers-

Judy let out a long, protesting groan as she parked the police cruiser outside of the Otterton's shop. They lived on the second floor of the shop, which cut down on the number of stops Judy had to make.

"On a list of things I really don't want to do, grilling the Ottertons about a crime is worse than having Flash read me a cake recipe," Judy gave a desperate look to Nick.

"I hear you," Nick nodded, "let's make this quick." The two leaped out of the cruiser and headed inside. Mrs. Otterton greeted them immediately.

"Nick! Judy!" Her expression was warm, and she clasped her paws together. "What a treat!"

"Er, I'm afraid we're not here for a very pleasant reason," Judy looked off to the side. "Could you tell us where you and Mr. Otterton were last evening?"

"Of course, he and I were right here!" Mrs. Otterton smiled. "After the Night Howler incident we were suggested to install cameras to deter thieves until Night Howlers were outright banned." The otter slinked over to her counter and showed her their computer, and pulled up the relevant footage. "There we are. Quite a boring night, really."

Judy's expression immediately brightened. "Great, that's fantastic! Thank you so much!" Mrs. Otterton looked a bit wary at the sudden relief in her face.

"Wait, you said you weren't here for a pleasant reason, what's the trouble?" Mrs. Otterton cocked her head. Judy let loose a large, uncomfortable smile.

"All right, bunny, I'll say it," Nick gave a small smile. Judy shook her head in protest. "We're here on a case involving one 'Dawn Bellwether', if you've heard of her."

"Oh, I have," the warmth drained out of Mrs. Otterton's voice.

"Nick, please, she doesn't need to know..." Judy's eyes looked troubled.

"She deserves to know why we're here," Nick shook his head. "Bellwether was attacked by Night Howler pellets, twice now."

"Oh," Mrs. Otterton nodded, "I see why you're here, then. Obviously anyone related to the case like myself and Emmitt would be a suspect. It's okay, Judy dear, really."

"But it's not just that," Judy gave a wince, "we have security footage of her attacker, and it's... well, unquestionably an otter."

"Ah, I see," Mrs. Otterton looked upset, "that is troubling... but I can assure you, Emmitt and I stand for peace and understanding. As awful as that sheep is, I would not wish harm on her; it wouldn't solve anything."

"Exactly, exactly," Judy nodded. "I'm so sorry to have to trouble you like this."

"I'm afraid I can't be of any more help," Mrs. Otterton shrugged, "both of my oldest boys, Arthur and Emerson, are in separate colleges in different cities, and Eddie is only in ninth grade. Oh! Would you like to search the place?"

"Ah, we actually can't!" Nick brightened. "We don't have a warrant or probable cause to think any of you have committed a crime, so I guess we're... done?"

"Oh, thank heavens," Judy gave a relieved sigh, placing a paw to her chest.

"I will talk to my husband about this and I'll let you know if I've heard of anything strange happening in our extended family," Mrs. Otterton nodded.

"Thank you so much, bye!" Judy quickly made her way back into the cruiser with Nick and collapsed into her seat. "Whew! Never have I been so relieved to be completely stymied on a case! That was pretty bad, but not as bad as say, uh, Flash doing dental work."

"Ooh, that would be pretty bad," Nick admitted.

"I guess the bad news is that we're back to square one," Judy mused, starting the engine after the two put their seat belts on. "What otter in Zootopia could have done this? Who'd have a motive?"

"Eddie Otterton," Nick said calmly.

"W-what!?" Judy voice sounded choked.

"He's the only one not on the footage," Nick shrugged. "We have to figure out what he was doing that night."

"Do you really think..." Judy's jaw dropped. "He's a year younger than Larry! He wasn't even _alive_ till after the incident was over."

"It's a stretch, but I think we have to consider it a possibility," Nick grumbled. "Let's flip this around for a minute. Imagine we were already a couple at the time and I was hit. You went for weeks without knowing where I was, or even if I was alive, to find me a feral, uncontrollable beast. You had as good as lost me and had no way of knowing if you'd get me back. Think of how Larry would feel if he even heard of that story."

"I see what you mean," Judy nodded solemnly, "Larry's already empathetic enough to hate Bellwether even though he had nothing to do with the case; he's a prey, even! And then, when he learned the truth in your hypothetical situation, he knows that you were targeted on purpose, for a reason, just because of a hatred of what you were."

"And the seeds of hatred are sown anew," Nick agreed.

"Eddie goes to Larry's school, right?" Judy sighed. "I guess we need to call upon our Junior Detective again..."

* * *

-Squeakendale High School, Freshmen Hallway-

"Okay, I see Eddie, Chet," Larry said to his chinchilla friend. "You ready to do this good cop, bad cop thing?"

"I dunno, Lares," Chet winced, putting a pair of sunglasses on, "you know how hard it is to accidentally do something on purpose?"

"C'mon, Chet," Larry gave a smirk, "running into people in hallways is practically your signature move."

"I thought it was the Chilla Thrilla," Chet laughed. "Okay, let's do it." As soon as Eddie looked like he was going to start walking, Chet briskly walked right into him.

"Ugh!" Eddie rocked a bit, but didn't topple over.

"Oof!" Chet grunted. "Hey, watch where I'm goin', freshmeat! Upperclassman on the way through!" Eddie winced at the chinchilla, even though he was half his size.

"Hey, don't be a jerk!" Larry rushed over. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just a bit startled is all," Eddie said.

"Apologize to this otter!" Larry frowned at Chet.

"You gonna make me, lil' squirrel?" Chet got up close to Larry and the two glared at each other. Larry narrowed one eye, having steel in his gaze and a firm frown, and Chet was actually trying very hard not to laugh with how genuinely angry the gray squirrel looked. He decided he had to split from them before he blew the whole thing. "Okay, whatever, dorks." He waved and was off.

"Thankfully, not all of us sophomores are like him," Larry smiled. "Hey, are you uh, one of the Ottertons?"

"How would you know that?" Eddie looked surprised.

"My parents are the cops that took down Bellwether!" Larry said proudly. "They tell me stories about it all the time."

"Really? Huh, that's cool," Eddie nodded, then his mood dropped. "You know she's out of jail, right?"

"What?" Larry made a disgusted face. "She should have been in there way longer. She tried to kill my mom and dad!"

"Right?" Eddie agreed. "Don't worry though, someone as awful as her, she's gonna get what's coming to her, and soon, hopefully." Larry tempered himself to not react to the way Eddie said this.

"Yeah, I bet!" Larry had a determined glare. "So, anyway, uh, you got any plans for after high school?"

"Well, unlike my other brothers, I think I actually want to go into the family business," Eddie said. "Flowers and stuff. Taking some agriculture now. ...Eh, pretty lame, right?"

"Ah, no, thinking stuff is lame is lame!" Larry smiled brightly. "I'm kinda uh, still entertaining the thought of being a race car driver in the tiny league. A little bit childish, huh?"

"The bigger racing leagues are pretty boring; I don't know how anyone can watch that," Eddie shook his head. "My oldest brother Arthur was into that. They just go for pure speed. But the smaller leagues have those complex, compact tracks where you have to do all the fancy cornering."

"Yeah!" Larry grinned. "Exactly. Hey, you want me to walk with you to the bus stop to make sure no other clumsy chinchillas ram into you?"

"Oh, uh, thanks for the offer, but I got something to do after school," Eddie waved. "Gotta go now. Nice to meet you, though."

Larry felt a tiny turn of his stomach, but his face remained pleasant. "Yeah, you too!" Larry watched Eddie head for deeper into the complex of the high school, away from the direction most of the teenagers were flowing.

* * *

-The Wilde-Hopps' Aardvark Rise Apartment-

Larry waved to his parents as they both came into their apartment, still in their uniforms. Nick patted Larry on the head.

"Any luck, Lare-bear?" Nick smirked.

"I did get to talk to Eddie," Larry said with a confident grin. "I'm pretty sure he has absolutely nothing to do with it." Judy gave a nod, smiling, and headed to her bedroom.

"Hold up, Judy," Nick said with a small grin, giving a single, amused exhale. "Can you call in the search warrant for the Otterton's place?"

"What!?" Larry's eyes flew open and his hands shot outward. "I just said...!" Judy looked a bit confused as well, and she blinked in surprise.

"You're lying, Larry," Nick's smile was convinced, but soft. Larry sputtered in frustration.

"Ugh!" He kicked the ground with his foot. "When am I ever going to be able to get away with anything!?"

"Against _me_!?" Nick chuckled. "Probably never. Listen, kiddo, I used to lie for a living. I lied every day of my life for longer than you've been alive. Your old fox knows a thing or two about fibbing. As good as you get at hiding the truth, you won't be able to keep it from me." Judy came over to Larry and knelt down besides him.

"Why would you lie about this?" Judy asked him softly.

"I don't want him to get into trouble!" Larry stamped his foot indignantly. "Why should he be the one to have to pay? All this is that sheep's fault!"

"That is completely true, it is," Judy nodded, gently touching his shoulder. Larry rotated it to slough it off, but Judy put it back on and held more firmly. "Listen to me. It's not just about how awful Bellwether is. He was using a straw to deliver these pellets. What if he missed? What if he accidentally inhaled one? What if he mistakenly hit a much larger animal? People could get hurt. Going after Bellwether in this way is NOT the answer."

"I guess not," Larry groaned in frustration.

"So are you convinced Eddie is the one that did it?" Nick asked.

"I am pretty sure," Larry sighed. "I mean, he didn't _admit_ it or anything, but... he said something about Bellwether getting what's coming to her. He's interested in botany, and when I offered to hang out with him he made an excuse and headed back deeper into school."

"That's my Junior Detective," Judy smiled, giving him a hug. "Sounds like he probably wanted to go procure more Night Howler or is even storing it somewhere in the school. I should get on that warrant." She got up and got onto her phone, stepping into the other room. Nick got next to Larry and crouched down.

"Listen, Larry," Nick said to the upset-looking squirrel. "We don't want this otter to get into trouble either. He's as much of a victim as anyone else. But your mother is right about the potential for an accident. What if someone else gets hurt, or worse? What would they or their family think?"

"They'd... they'd hate Eddie, then," Larry said carefully.

"That's right," Nick nodded. "It would never end. We have to try to make him see the error of his ways. And... we have to do our jobs, to protect Zootopia."

"I... I understand," Larry sighed, hugging Nick gently. Nick hugged back.

* * *

-A Bevy of Flowers-

"W-we're back!" Judy said brightly. "We have a warrant this time. Just checking all of the boxes, you know?"

"Ah, of course!" Emmitt Otterton said. "Look wherever you need. We have nothing to hide."

"Um, maybe I can get the store down here if you go upstairs and look into the rooms?" Judy gave a slight wince over to Nick.

"Of course," Nick nodded and headed up the stairs.

"So while I'm here, tell me about some of these lovely flowers!" Judy smiled as she looked around.

"Sure!" Mrs. Otterton smiled and nodded.

Nick smiled faintly as he saw Eddie standing in front of his room. The fox squinted a bit; his height was already up there with his father's, though he had his mother's coloring and body type. He pretty much exactly matched the shape on the video. "So kiddo, you want to do this the easy way?" Nick placed his hands on his hips.

"What do you mean?" Eddie said, his eyes shifting.

"Let me into your room," Nick said softly.

Eddie's face twisted in a sad sort of frustration. His voice was hushed. "Why are you doing this? ...She tried to kill you."

"That's true," Nick said. "However, what's being done to her now has the potential for collateral damage. I sure wouldn't want that on my paws." Eddie sniveled slightly, opening his door and leading Nick to a chest in his closet with lamps and Night Howlers.

Nick smiled sadly. "Atta boy." He sighed slowly and took out a small pair of handcuffs.

"Whuh- what's going to happen to me?" Eddie asked quietly.

"Hopefully not too much. Please don't say anything else about this, okay? You know you have the right to remain silent," Nick said. "I'll make sure I recommend your folks a good attourney. With your heretofore clean record, you being underage, a sympathetic jury likely being easy to come by, and your target, I don't think you'll be in for much punishment."

Eddie gave a shaky sigh in response.

"This is not the answer, Eddie," Nick said firmly. "Your parents are going to be very upset when they hear about this. Flowers are supposed to bring joy to people's lives."

"I know," Eddie said quietly. "The stories Arthur and Emerson told me about how scared they were when dad was gone, and then figured out he went feral... they gave ME nightmares. I couldn't believe she was getting out of jail... I just... I wanted her to pay..."

"Shh," Nick put a finger to his own lips, gently cuffing Eddie. "No more, okay? For what it's worth, I totally understand you. But we can't take matters into our own hands like this. Someone like Bellwether? She'll probably mess up again. And there's less sympathy for repeat offenders. You hear me on that one?"

Eddie gave another soft snivel, nodding.

"Listen, I know you're probably a great kid," Nick said, putting his hand behind his back. "The Ottertons are your parents, after all. But the first step to being even better is to make sure you let don't let hatred fester in your heart until it breeds action."

"Okay..." Eddie said. "How did you know it was me? Did your son figure it out and give me up...?"

"Nope, I read it out of him," Nick closed his eyes, smiling softly. "If you want to be upset with someone, be upset at me."

"I can't do that," Eddie shook his head. "We're both on the same side."

"Now listen to me very closely, this will be the most important thing I say to you before we go down to your parents," Nick said firmly. "There are no 'sides'. There's no 'us' or 'them'. There's only right and wrong."

"All right..." Eddie said, and Nick gently led him downstairs.

* * *

-Maulgreen's-

The Otterton's had been quite upset, of course, that one of their children could be a criminal, however justified any of them felt he was. Judy and Nick had assured them that they would recommend the best lawyer they knew to the family to try to get Eddie the lightest possible punishment. Judy sighed as her mind was clouded by how disappointed Mrs. Otterton had looked. She hoped the sorrow in her face would discourage Eddie from trying anything like that ever again.

Judy's mind was so absent that she clashed her shopping cart in the grocery store against another. Snapping back to the present, she saw Dawn Bellwether standing in front of her. Dawn smiled darkly.

"Oh, how wonderful," Judy said sarcastically. "Guess I'll need to change grocery stores."

"Don't bother," Dawn's smile turned into a frown, "I'll be moving to Greener Pastures before the month is out."

"Whatever for?" Judy sneered, folding her arms.

"Gee, maybe it's because I've been attacked twice already," Dawn rolled her eyes. "Figure that if a tiny otter brat could do that to me there's no telling what the rest of those preds could do if they got their claws into me." She smiled darkly again.

"Tch," Judy's teeth showed.

"I was right," Dawn's merciless grin widened. "I was _right_. It _was_ one of the Ottertons. Saw it all on the news. How sad for you, huh? Your precious little squeaking pred family had a black 'sheep' after all. Thank you so much for taking care of him for me."

"Shut your mouth!" Judy shouted, making Dawn flinch. "You brought this all on yourself! Your repulsive conduct, your campaign of hatred! You _are_ right though; you're lucky predators have had the self control not to squish you into a fine paste by now!" Several onlookers started filing into both of the ends of the aisle.

"What's going on?"  
"So much shouting!"  
"What's that, a bunny and a sheep?"  
"Should we call the police?"

"Quiet!" Judy snapped, looking back at the mumblers. She flashed her badge. "I AM the police! Judy Wilde-Hopps, ZPD. And I _hope_ you all know who _this_ is!" She gestured grandiosely towards Dawn. There was a small silence.

"Is that... Dawn Bellwether?" A pig sneered.  
"The former mayor?" A tiger grit his teeth.  
"Why's she even out of jail!?" A bear protested.  
"Go fleece yourself, sheep!" A deer yelled out. "My best friend is a wolf!" Dawn winced slightly, standing closer to her shopping cart.

"Ah, what a lovely sound," Judy grinned, placing a hand to her ear. "Predator and prey alike, united in their distaste of YOU. Now, since I did something for you, maybe you could do something for me? Shoplift, perhaps? I would _love_ to arrest you. It'd really make my day."

"I bet she's _already_ done something illegal!"  
"Don't worry, Officer! If she tries to escape we'll keep her still!"  
"She's surrounded!"  
"We've all got your back, bunny!"

"Oh, so is mob justice your idea of keeping this city in line?" Dawn sneered. "I will be extra glad to leave." She bared her teeth, gesturing to the crowd. "Mark my words, Zootopians. You think all of this inter-species harmony will last in this city? We're all fundamentally different! You predators have knives for claws and swords for teeth! Violence is in your blood! When one of you wants your way, you can just take it!" She drew her hand across her neck. "Teeth for crushing necks. Claws for eviscerating! The idea of a true, lasting inter-species peace is a farce!"

"Hey, shut up! I never hurt anyone in my life!" A wolf growled.  
"You're the one with the problem, sheep!" A goat yelled out.  
"She did say she was moving out, right?" Another female sheep asked hopefully.  
"It's not always predators you've gotta watch for," a female buffalo punched her hands together. "I can take what I want too, and I'm starting to want to hurt you."

"All right, let's not get too crazy," Judy held her hands up. "Dawn, all of us are very different, it's true. But as long as we can at least tolerate each other, Zootopia will stand as a society. It will prove how far we've come from those prehistoric times of violence. And, it will be better and more special from all of our various abilities and perspectives."

"Nice," Dawn rolled her eyes. "You read that off of the back of one of these cereal boxes?"

"I don't know or want to know what happened to you to make you like you are, and I know you don't want to change," Judy said, smiling. "So, I'm glad you're leaving."

Dawn opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. She just sneered and headed away from Judy. Over a dozen animals were waiting for her at the end of the aisle, glaring at her. Dawn cowered slightly.

"You all want to prove you're better than that sheep?" Judy called out proudly. "Then stand aside and let her pass! Don't lay a paw on her!" The crowd obeyed Judy and Dawn made it through the throng unharmed. She gave a nervous look backwards and saw all the angry faces, some self-satisfied, but none more so than Judy's.

"Zootopia won't miss you," Judy said coldly.


	23. Snowy Partners

-"Omnivore-Us" Diner-

At seeing a familiar pair of hazel eyes darting around the diner, Nick and Judy Wilde-Hopps waved over to Crystal Lumi, one of Nick's better friends from high school. Crystal nodded her head and headed on over. The snow leopard was actually smaller than one might first think from the more impressively sized snow leopard newscaster that was frequently on the Zootopia News Network; Crystal was only two inches taller than the four-foot Nick. Her impressive, 36-inch tail swept out behind her; for felines, the long and thick tail of snow leopards compared to their body size was quite unusual. She had more gray fur than the average snow leopard, with black spots on her back, shoulders, and arms, and white underbellies. Just a few hints of cream-colored fur stood near the borders of her gray and white colors, giving her a very clean appearance.

"Crystal!" The gray bunny waved to Crystal, and the snow leopard grinned and sat down next to them.

"Nickadee! Jubilee!" She responded as she plopped down.

"Still, uh, not sure what I think about that nickname," Judy admitted. "Always so nice to see you in person! In your pictures with Karen, you always seem to tower over her, but you're barely taller than Nick!"

"I think it's just the angle," Crystal laughed. "Skippy's a little camera-shy, so she always seems much smaller than me in the shots. She is a couple of inches shorter than you, anyway, Jubilee."

"Speaking of Skip, uh, where is she?" Nick tilted his head. "This is supposed to be a double date, after all, not 'snow leopard is the third wheel on the fox and bunny mobile'."

"Right, um," Crystal checked her phone, "Skippy says she's running late, she hopes to be here soon."

"Mm, ever since she got promoted to Lead Technical Officer she's somehow become even _more_ serious about her work," Judy noted.

"Think we should order now, or...?" Nick offered.

"Oh, I'm not too hungry if you aren't; I can wait a little," Crystal nodded. A few more minutes passed. Judy was uncharacteristically quiet, as she didn't know Crystal as well as Karen, even though Karen Skippel wasn't much of a social arctic hare. "Kinda chilly out today, even in Savanna Central, huh?"

"Yeah, it's shaping up to be a cold winter this year," Judy adjusted her scarf a little bit, feeling toasty in her warm clothes.

"So, um, Crystal," Nick started, "how are things with your own bunny?"

Crystal blinked and looked a bit pensive. "Oh um, well... to be honest? I worry a little. We've been together for what, about ten years now?" She fidgeted a bit. "And with her promotion and my break, I worry that our relationship might start to get a bit strained. I might not be able to be there for her as much as she needs..."

"Sorry, your 'break'?" Judy tilted her head. "What's that mean?"

"Oh, hm, I don't know how much I can say," Crystal gave a bit of a grin. "I was cast for one of the biggest roles in an upcoming new movie! Might be my big break into the silver screen!"

"Oh, really?" Nick seemed intrigued. "Well, can you say _anything_ about it, or are you already under a big non-disclosure agreement?"

"Well, you two should know what it's about," Crystal rubbed her paw on her sweater with a grin. "It's loosely based on the incident that happened to Zootopia just over a decade ago, the movies tentatively titled..." at this Crystal lowered her voice. "Infection: K9." Nick and Judy's eyes both grew wide.

"Hm, think they should be interviewing us about that, Judy?" Nick folded his arms and smirked.

"Heck, I think we should get royalties," Judy grumbled. "You're what... the main villain?" Judy cocked her eyebrow. "But she was a-"

"Sure am!" Crystal smiled proudly. "They're fudging the species on some of the main characters, of course. So if I get you to loathe me just as much as you did the real deal, I'll be doing my acting right!"

"Trust me, that's going to be some feat," Judy said dryly.

"You haven't seen her go crazy bunny," Nick said carefully. "You do not want to see her go crazy bunny."

Crystal laughed at that. "I'll take your word for it. I don't know much about the script so I can't answer any questions about it, that and the NDA, of course."

"She was definitely taller than you," Judy recalled wistfully, but then shook her head.

"Hey, you wonder if they're going to shoehorn a love interest between the two leads into it?" Nick grinned, poking Judy with his elbow. Judy released a sly grin.

"She almost loses her longtime partner to a disease she has no control over," Judy said with a forced desperation to her voice, clasping her paws together, "she _must_ declare her love for him before it's too late!"

"W-wait, is this actually how it went down?" Crystal grabbed at the table with her paws with mounting interest.

"All I can say is, it would be _so_ cliche if she declared her love for him at the _hospital_..." Nick gave Judy a huge grin, and she groaned.

"Okay, fine, yes, I almost did, all right? But I was emotional, and running on barely any sleep!" Judy recalled those times. Karen had actually helped her wrap up the case, coincidentally enough.

"I haven't heard this story before! Please continue!" Crystal's grin grew wider, and she felt her phone buzz. Looking at it, her mood took a small hit. "Oh, Skippy's not going to be able to join us after all. She just wants me to bring her something home. Oh well... wouldn't be the first time."

"You okay, Crystal?" Judy tilted her head.

"Yeah, just fine," Crystal gave a small smile, "now please, go on! Nickadee never told me just how you two got together."

"It is a bit of a long story," Nick chuckled.

"Hey, we got time," Crystal motioned the waitress over to take their orders.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters-

"Heya, Karen!" Judy said, rushing over to her workstation at just about noon. "About lunch time, isn't it?"

"I guess so," the arctic hare glanced at the clock with her light blue eyes. One could be forgiven for thinking Judy and Karen Skippel were related at first glance. Karen's fur was solid white with smaller black ear-tips than Judy's. Her ears were also a bit shorter than the gray rabbit's. She had slightly larger feet than Judy and was a little bit fluffier furred, but other than that they might have passed for sisters or at least cousins.

"Want me to tag along with you for lunch?" Judy asked brightly.

"Well, if I said no," Karen mused, getting out of her seat and starting to walk, "you'd just keep after me about it and I wouldn't be able to get rid of you till it cut drastically into both of our break times. So, for the maximum amount of break and sustenance time, I suppose I should just say yes?" Karen smirked.

"I'm glad you understand me so well!" Judy said brightly.

The two walked to a Snarlbucks just a few blocks down.

* * *

-Snarlbucks, City Center-

The bunnies both got a coffee and danish and sat down to begin to eat.

"So, what's up, then?" Karen wondered. "You never talk to me without some sort of motive."

"Ouch, that stings a bit," Judy admitted, "well, our double date last night was missing a crucial component."

Karen sighed. "Yeah, sorry for flaking on you all. I just had a project I had to get done."

"Bigger title, more responsibilities, huh?" Judy sipped from her coffee. Karen nodded.

"I want to give us lapines a good name," Karen nodded, "now I've got animals several times my size looking up to me, a small arctic hare. I don't want to relax just because I've got a promotion."

"Right, but it has been more than ten years since you were signed on," Judy shrugged a bit. "I think we hippity hops have proven ourselves on the force, at least a bit!"

"I suppose," Karen nibbled at her danish.

"So, how are things with you and Crystal?" Judy wondered.

"This again?" Karen lolled her ears as much as they would go, but they were less bendy than Judy's as they were shorter. "You and Nick are always asking me about her."

"Well, it's just because we care," Judy shrugged. "Maybe just a bit nosy... but..."

"I still believe our relationship is _our_ business," Karen said firmly. "I don't go comparing it to the relationship you and Nick have just because we both have inter-species relationships."

Judy sighed. "That's not it at all. I just want to know you two are doing okay. You're getting busier and Crystal might have to spend more time away from you, especially if she gets more movie roles."

"Ah, she told you about that, huh?" Karen asked, sipping more coffee. "Listen, if there's a problem between me and her, I trust her to bring it up to me, okay? We can work it out, whatever it is. But as far as I know, everything's good."

"That's good," Judy gave a small smile. Karen returned it after a small delay.

* * *

-Crystal Lumi's House, 1283 Snow Poff Lane, Tundratown-

An unusually large blizzard had begun to wrack Tundratown that evening just as Karen was getting home from work. Crystal helped her in, dried her off of the snow and warmed her up slightly by the heater, and the two headed to their room where they fell asleep in their separate beds, both listening to the harsh howl of the wind.

The next morning, Karen was awoken by her phone's soft and chiming alarm. She quietly slipped out of her room as to not awaken Crystal, and headed downstairs. She flicked the light in the kitchen, but nothing happened.

"Okay, so power's out," Karen grumbled, then looked to the window nearest the front door and saw blank gray, as the sun hadn't fully arisen yet. "Aaand I appear to be snowed in. Great." Karen headed back upstairs, her footsteps heavier as she wondered what she was supposed to do; she had to be at work soon.

Crystal yawned and gave a feline stretch in her bed as Karen accidentally stirred her awake. "Morning, Skippy. What's going on...?" Crystal saw Karen placing her hands to the window and staring down.

"Well, we're snowed in and the power's out," Karen explained. "I'm wondering how viable it would be for me to sneak out of here by the second floor..."

"Whuh?" Crystal rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "You're not seriously considering launching yourself out of the second story window just to get to work, are you?" Crystal looked out the window with her. "There's no telling how packed or loose that snow is. You could hurt yourself..."

"I'm supposed to get to work, though," Karen said, "I need to show everyone I'm reliable. I haven't missed a single day of work where it wasn't-"

"Well, this seems like an act of nature to me," Crystal folded her arms. "Why don't you call in today and play it safe?" Karen stared at her own hands, considering her options. Did she really want to fling herself out of a window?

Karen sighed and picked up her phone. "Good morning, Chief Bogo. Have you heard about the blizzard? ...Yes, well I'm stuck here at home," Karen grumbled. "I really hate to ask for a day off, but... yes I'm aware I barely ever use any of my sick days. ...Okay. Do you have anything I can do at home? Ugh, but the power's out... I might only have a few hours at most on my laptop before it dies. Okay... Are you sure? ...Okay. Weather permitting, I'll see you tomorrow then."

Crystal gave a light laugh as she clothed herself in a fluffy pink robe. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"I guess not," Karen twisted her mouth. "It's always hard to read Chief Bogo's mood. He just sounded bored and dismissive like usual." Karen dressed down from her police uniform and into her own light blue robe.

"You're stuck with me today, Skippy," Crystal winked. "Let's go see if there's any cereal." The two poured their own cereals and started to have some breakfast in the dark kitchen. Karen noticed that Crystal was exchanging more glances with her than usual.

"Is everything, uh, all right, Crystal?" Karen cocked her head. Crystal looked off to the side after a bite of cereal. She looked like she didn't want to answer this. "Crystal...?"

"Are you still..." Crystal began in a hushed voice. "Are you in love with me, Karen...?" Karen gasped at the soft, but piercing words. Crystal cringed as she heard the gasp, instantly regretting her choice of words.

"Y-yes, I am!" Karen said quickly. "I love you. You're my... you're my mate."

Crystal offered a weak smile. "That's so nice to hear, Skippy..." She took another bite of cereal, hoping it would end at this. But she knew Karen, and she could almost see her mind whirling into action.

"W-what, did you think... do you think I don't?" Karen asked with a worried tone and face. "Do you think I... do you think I think of you like... s-some sort of... what... maidservant? Just a... a caretaker?"

"No... no, Karen, I don't..." Crystal put a paw up to her own face. "I'm so sorry I said that. You know I love to get to take care of and comfort you..."

"T-then why...?" Karen started to look pained and hiccuped. Crystal dropped her spoon and rushed over to Karen, scooping her up to cuddle her. "Am I doing something _wrong_...?" Karen started to sniffle.

"Oh Karen, please, please don't cry," Crystal shivered and held her close. "I'm so sorry... it's just, I've been scared lately... scared your promotion and my big movie break are going to strain 'us'..."

Karen tried to restrain her sniffling, but she was holding quite close to Crystal's embrace. "You are the most important person in my life. I... I wish I could communicate that better. Please tell me if I can..."

"Mm, Skippy, you don't have to say anything more than that," Crystal rocked her back and forth a bit before taking her to a couch and reclining with her. "I'm... I'm just a greedy kitty, you know."

"Greedy...?" Karen blinked a few tears away in confusion.

Crystal nodded, giving a shaky sigh. "Sometimes I just want to... you know, mess with your ears or head fur a bit, even when we're in public." Her face looked a bit a ashamed. "You're just so... um, fetching to me. But I know you don't like being doted on in public... you don't think other animals deserve to see what we have." Crystal let herself pet through Karen's ears, feeling both her and her arctic hare calming a bit.

"...That's what I say," Karen murmured with her teeth grit, "but in truth it's more that I'm scared of the looks and the sneers we might get. We're predator and prey, both female, and of a somewhat considerable size difference. We're even more of an unusual couple than Nick and Judy. I just, I don't know if I have the inner strength to deal with that kind of ridicule. Judy's told me what she and Nick have gone through."

"Yet they're still together, aren't they?" Crystal smiled softly. "You'll always have me to help back you up and protect you. I'm a big, intimidating kitty." Crystal proudly held up one of her paws to show her retractable claws.

"I mean, there are bigger cats," Karen noted. Crystal laughed gently. "This relationship of ours... I know Nick set us up to 'fix' me, to help me. But it... it shouldn't always be about me. Maybe I won't ever be fully 'fixed'? But in the meantime I shouldn't keep you from what you want, as well..."

"Aw, honey," Crystal continued stroking through Karen's head and ears. "I'm sorry for even bringing this up. It's just... well, sometimes I will admit it's hard for me to keep from showing how attracted I am to you. You know I'm kind of an over-active, bubbly person." The snow leopard started to purr softly. "Sometimes I just want to scoop you up and throw you over my shoulder, especially when you complain you're tired."

"That sounds, uh, agreeable," Karen smiled faintly, enjoying the paw petting over her ears. "I have to admit though, when I was growing up, because of how it was for me, just with a father and no siblings, it was hard to connect to anyone in school or college. As I matured I didn't even feel attracted to anyone. I thought I might not ever feel those sort of things."

"So, did you change your mind with those purr therapy cats?" Crystal gave a big grin.

"I thought I shouldn't be enjoying it as much as I was," Karen shook her head with a slight frown. "It felt wrong to me."

"Wrong to feel attracted to pred girls?" Crystal wondered.

"No, wrong because I was paying for it," Karen remembered. "It felt like... forced companionship. I started to feel ashamed instead of refreshed and slightly um... t-titillated...?"

Crystal laughed at this explanation. "Oh Skippy, you're adorable."

"The first time we met, after Nick set us up," Karen recalled, "I was so nervous. I felt this knot in the pit of my stomach and my mind fired so many questions at me. I'd never felt so anxious about what someone might think about me, or fear that I might not get to see them again. So uh, I think I knew right away I must have been in love, with all that. That, or I was having a panic attack."

"Aw..." Crystal gave Karen a soft kiss, which she returned. "I was nervous too, our first date. I knew you were a police officer, but you looked as soft and delicate as I had imagined you would. I knew it would be so easy for me to overwhelm you with my personality, that I reigned myself way in, and, well, I don't know how far I went or if I've fully come back from that, really!"

"You could have fooled me," Karen laughed nervously, "you seemed so confident."

"That was just a front, because I knew Nick had picked the most perfect girl for me," Crystal chuckled. "I would go on and on to him during our lunch periods in high school about why I found little prey females so attractive, so cuddly and deserving of hugs, wrapping them up with my tail, protecting them. He thought I was a lunatic and called me as much."

"Well, serves him right, now he's with a little prey himself," Karen smirked.

Crystal purred calmly. "I never thought I'd ever find anyone like you, Skippy. Someone to love and protect, someone I could scoop up and tell everything would be okay. Someone to cuddle to sleep..."

"Though we quickly figured out what comes after that was... not agreeable..." Karen winced.

"As much as I'd like to share a bed with you, honey, being woken up with a foot or fist in my jaw was getting a bit old," Crystal laughed. There was a brief silence.

"I do love you, Crystal," Karen confirmed with a firm nod.

"I love you too, Karen," Crystal purred and nuzzled her. Karen returned the nuzzle, and the two kissed briefly.

"Maybe we could try the whole public affection display a few times," Karen suggested, snuggling deeper into Crystal's fluff as the snow leopard's tail came around her. "But the first time someone throws something at us..."

Crystal laughed lightly. "Yeah, we'll see..."

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters-

The next day, Karen returned to work, and as she walked by Nick's cubicle he noted she was sporting an unusually large smile. Curious, Nick popped up and walked over to her.

"So, Skip, just one day off to recharge those bunny batteries and you're already basically glowing," Nick noted, smirking. "Maybe you should have taken a day off, like, years ago."

"Oh hush, Wilde-Hopps, it wasn't just the day off," Karen shook her head. "I just had to re-confirm something to myself."

"What's that, Skip?" Nick wondered, sipping from his coffee.

"That I... well, I love Crystal," Karen offered a shy grin. Reaching into her things, she withdrew a small framed picture of the two that she placed on her workstation.

Nick smiled. "Well I think I knew that you loved her, but it's nice to hear you say it." Nick grinned as Karen fussed over the picture's placement on her station for almost a full minute before leaving it with both hands. "I think it's a little off-center." Karen glared at him. "Kidding. Nice picture of you two."

"I'm going to try to stop being so defensive about us," Karen sighed. "I feel like I've been holding her back from acting like herself around me. I might have made her so careful around me she forgot to just be herself."

"Well, when you're dealing with a precious, delicate little flower like yourself, maybe she was right to want to be careful," Nick grinned.

"Wilde-Hopps!" Karen snapped with a wry frown, but then her expression softened. "Do I really come across that way?"

"Oh, no, I'm just teasing, Skip," Nick shook his head. "But I'm sure you know you're the most important thing to her, and she wouldn't want to do anything to endanger you or your feelings."

Karen sat there quietly. "Yeah, I... I did get that. Thank you." She looked up earnestly at Nick. "Thank you again, for setting us up together. I think we... I think we really both needed each other."

"Hey, making bunnies happy?" Nick snapped his fingers, pointing at her. "It's what I do."

"How can you be so irritatingly smug when I'm trying to be serious?" Karen quietly grumbled with a tiny smile, folding her arms.

"That's also what I do," Nick saluted, and headed off to leave Karen to herself.

Karen rolled her eyes and turned back to her workstation, but smiled wistfully at the picture of her and Crystal together. Crystal had her arm around Karen, and they both were smiling. It was as bright as smile as Karen ever allowed herself. But something did bother her about the picture.

"Stupid fox," Karen muttered warmly to herself, adjusting the picture's position one last time.


	24. Partners' Legacy

-Express Train From Zootopia to Bunnyburrow-

Winter break had arrived, and Judy Wilde-Hopps, her husband and her son all had a few days off that they were going to use to visit her parents farm in Bunnyburrow. Something about the train ride was disquieting to her, and she couldn't quite make out what. The scenario before her seemed eerily familiar, and the more she tried to shake the feeling, the more it crept upon her. Looking to her left she saw various mammals who appeared to be staring at her, or at least their unusual little family. Judgemental stares, likely, from traditionally-minded animals like pigs, horses, and other rabbits. Something about it was so familiar.

Shouldn't Nick be yelling? Judy thought this to herself, looking slightly upwards at the fox beside her. Nick had an unfocused, but pleased look, totally ignoring all the stares. But that wasn't right, was it? Judy tried to calm down, but her breaths were starting to come quicker. As the train slowed down and stopped at the train station in Bunnyburrow, she felt almost panicked. Looking to her right, she saw her gray squirrel son, Larry. A memory overtook her like a spectre that had lingered for this very moment.

"I do appreciate it, very much..." Judy said aloud in an odd, distant tone. "...Th-that's what I should have said. Yeah..."

"Mom?" Larry narrowed one eye and tilted his head in confusion at the seeming non-sequitur. Nick looked over and saw Judy's rather vacant expression.

"Judy, are you okay?" Nick got up and took their luggage in one hand and offered his right hand. "Do you need me to carry you?"

"I'm fine," Judy said, blinking a few times, but the haze wouldn't fully clear. "Maybe just let me lean on you a bit..."

"Of course," Nick offered his arm and Judy wrapped both of hers around it, slowly walking out among other brusque animals who didn't care whatever problem had gripped the bunny. Larry walked alongside them with concern as Nick helped Judy over to one of the benches near the train platform and sat down with her.

* * *

-Bunnyburrow Station-

"Judy, are you all right?" Nick reiterated, trying to arrest her attention. Judy still seemed somewhat dazed. "Are you too cold? Too hot?" Larry looked at his mother in worry.

"Where's Jenny? Jenny should be here," Judy answered instead.

"Jenny hasn't greeted us at the platform for several years now, Judy," Nick said slowly with a calm voice. "She's working in Zootopia on the Fire Department, remember?"

"Dad? Do you know what's wrong with mom?" Larry was trying to keep himself from panicking. Judy shook her head and placed her fingers to her temples.

"I think something triggered something in her, like a flashback," Nick explained. "It's happened to me before. I think I know what she's remembering."

"Okay, okay, I think I'm... I think I'm back," Judy said, breathing carefully. "Next time I think I need Larry to sit on your side..."

"Wuh-what's all this about?" Larry continued to be unsure.

"The train ride gave me a huge blast of deja vu," Judy rubbed at her temples. "It wasn't exactly the same, of course, but it kept making me remember things... I felt a little lightheaded."

"Shall I tell him why?" Nick's mouth was in a line.

"Yeah, go ahead..." Judy nodded once.

"About eleven years ago or so now, that was the train ride we, uh," Nick searched for the right words, "well, we didn't know it yet, but we had met your... your birth mother on the train. Just for a moment."

Larry looked shocked. "Oh, o-okay. Why did that freak you out so much, mom?"

"Whew, it was a stressful day," Judy recalled, placing her paws on her knees and shaking her head. "I hadn't yet told my parents that I'd fallen in love with Nick. Nick and I had caused a big scene on the train-"

"Now now, don't go revising history on me," Nick smirked, holding a finger up that curved slightly. "That was ninety percent my fault."

"Anyway," Judy gave a small wry smile, looking at him with a sort of exhausted affection, "the argument was about people thinking we didn't belong together as a couple. And... and your mother said she thought we looked nice together. I didn't think anything of it at the time, even though it was a nice sentiment. I was still caught up in my own worries. But she remembered us later and looked us up. And... and in her desperation to find someone to take care of you..." Judy gave a shaky sigh, but managed to control herself.

"We ended up with a little squirrel boy," Nick nodded in conclusion. He managed a small smile, which Larry carefully returned after another worried glance at Judy.

"Wow, that's... that's pretty crazy," Larry blinked twice. "To think that one chance meeting could have..." His voice wandered off.

"Right?" Judy gave a sad smile. "My whole life seems to be a string of crazy coincidences all leading up to this point. A fox husband, a squirrel son, a job as a bunny cop. And yet here I am!"

Larry shrugged, patting Judy on the leg. "You're happy with all that stuff though, aren't you mom?"

"So happy," Judy admitted. "But it always seems to come at the expense of others. I don't feel like I have had to give of myself as much as others have had to give for me."

"Hey, honey bunny, let's not play the blame game," Nick squeezed her shoulder. "There's no debts to be paid. Our lives are as they are right now. We just need to keep going with them." Judy nodded.

"There you three are!" Jayce Hopps, a tall, lanky cream colored bunny with a brown masking over his mouth discovered them at the bench. "Never caught you three down here before! Is everything okay?"

"We're all right," Nick confirmed. "Judy here just got caught in a big ol' tidal wave of emotions."

"Bunnies, right?" Jayce grinned slyly.

"Shut up, Jayce," Judy said with surprising warmth. "And you carry our luggage this time."

"At once, my bright and yet paradoxically gray sister," Jayce gave a mocking bow.

Larry shook his head. "You're so snarky, uncle Jayce. Just like dad."

"Why do you think he and I get along so well?" Jayce asked, hefting up their luggage and heading over to his truck.

"Certianly not because of your looks," Nick ribbed him, smirking.

"Oops, I feel like I might be about to drop all of your luggage," Jayce shot back with a teasing voice.

"I'm just glad mom finally stopped having kids," Judy gave a stretch as she got up from the bench. "No more clusterfluffle. Even my youngest siblings are around sixteen, just like Larry, so we're set to have a great time at the Hopps compound!"

Jayce gave a nervous laugh as he tossed their things into his truck. "Oh, right, about that...!"

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Compound Main Entry Hall-

"Uncle Nick's here! Look, look! He's really a fox!"  
"It's aunt Judy! She's the cops-police!"  
"Aunt Judy! Aunt Judy! I spilled ketchup on my computer!"  
"Uncle Nick, my dad told me to ask you if you have a car or not."  
"Is that a SQUIRREL!?"  
"That's cousin Larry! Get him!"

"Guh-get him!?" Larry blinked in shock. A few dozen rather small bunnies began stampeding towards the three in the entry hall.

"Ohh God..." Nick said with trembling in his voice. "It's clusterfluffle, the next generation. Stay behind me, son!"

"Maybe he should be behind me?" Judy wondered quickly. "Mostly the clusterfluffle goes after you- oh no they're after me too!" Several bunnies started pouncing and glomping all over Nick and Judy while Larry tried to dodge the grasping hands.

"I'll go hide your stuff," Jayce smirked, easily wading through the crowd, attracting only one or two bunny's notice, and only for a few seconds.

"Uncle Jayce, did they bring us candy?" Wondered a cream-colored bunny girl.

"Welp, going down. Save yourself, son," Nick's voice was rather monotone as the bunnies slowly overpowered him and brought him to the floor face first. "Jeez, this generation seems even heavier than the last one." He shut his eyes in resignation as curious bunny paws felt all over his fox tail, ears, and muzzle.

"Me too, urgh!" Judy struggled, but even she was no match for the sheer numbers and ended up on her back, where numerous hugging and nuzzling bunnies "preyed" on her.

"Gyuh!" Larry gasped, backing up. There were still at least a dozen bunnies that were anywhere from his height to that and half again walking towards Larry with their paws outstretched. "I think I've played video games like this... and I usually have weapons in those." Larry made a break around the conglomeration, which quickly sped up to try to capture the squirrel. Larry instinctively jumped at the largest shape he could see with his peripheral vision, which happened to be a teenager gray bunny.

"Larry! Long time no see!" The voice, which was rather unfamiliar to Larry, said as he caught the squirrel in his arms. Larry wracked his brain for any gray bunnies he knew other than Judy.

"Aster? Is that you?" Larry blinked in disbelief. Aster Hopps, a brother of Judy's who was Larry's age, began walking briskly in a circle to try to evade the clambering horde of bunnies. "You sure got taller."

"Well, unlike squirrels, bunnies actually get a growth spurt when they hit puberty," Aster smirked. Larry rolled his eyes. "I can't keep away from them forever. You're gonna have to play that game that we played the first few times you came over here. 'Catch the squirrel'!"

Larry grit his teeth. "I _hate_ that game!"

"There's no other way!" Aster said dramatically. "They're almost upon me!" This was actually true, as the group of bunnies, protesting loudly about why they couldn't grab and hug Larry, was just about ready to pounce Aster. Larry winced and was trying to get ready for the "game" to begin. "Go, Larry! Remember, bonus points if you don't touch the ground."

Larry grumbled at this and leaped straight at a startled small bunny, wearing a determined expression on his small squirrel face as he soared. Not a moment too soon, as Aster yelped out and toppled to the ground with three bunnies tackling him. Larry latched onto the bunny and quickly scurried around to his back, where he couldn't reach, and chose another bunny to leap to. This continued for quite a few leaps, with Larry jumping onto bunnies that looked like they spooked easily and bouncing off of them onto his next target. Larry was getting tired after about eight leaps, and the bunnies were starting to wise up. He felt paws very nearly close upon him as the bunnies fought for the right to claim capture of the squirrel. Some of the bunnies even jumped at each other when Larry was on them, and he just barely avoided a few bunny-on-bunny collisions.

This is insane, Larry thought. How do they live like this!?

Larry was trying to make his way deeper into the hall, hopefully to some adult bunnies who would stop the game and shoo away the clusterfluffle. He mustered his eleventh jump, knowing his next one would probably be his last before he hit the floor or couldn't jump in time, and he flew right into the paws of Bonnie Hopps, his grandmother.

"Oh, thank goodness," Larry huffed in exertion. A shrill "aww!" signaled the defeat of the young bunnies.

"Why hello there, Larry! Good to see you!" Bonnie said warmly.

"Heya, grandbon," Larry grinned weakly, very tired out, his squirrel chest rising and falling quickly.

"How many leaps did you make?" Bonnie grinned.

"Eleven," Larry gasped.

"Did you touch the floor?" Bonnie continued. Larry shook his head. "That's twenty-two points then! We'll have to see if that's a new record."

"Yay..." Larry breathed out in exhaustion.

"Is that my squirrel grandson?" Stu Hopps made his way into the main hall with a bright expression, though his and his wife's age was beginning to show. "I gotta be sure, let me get my glasses." He dramatically and carefully put on his glasses, which he had needed for the past five years.

"Do you have any other squirrel grandsons, grandstu?" Larry asked curiously.

"No, just teasing," Stu smiled, gently patting Larry on the head.

"Stu, his parents?" Bonnie nodded reprovingly toward the two piles of bunnies near the door. Stu's eyes widened slightly in realization and he slowly shuffled towards them.

"All right, grandkits, shoo now, let your aunt and uncle be," Stu said firmly without a hint of sternness in his voice. Nevertheless, the bunnies scattered from both Judy and Nick obediently.

"I tasted the darkness, and it was warm and fuzzy," Nick groaned, slowly getting up. "Wow, I wish I had a bunny-compelling voice like that."

"I'm glad you don't," Judy got up next, slightly quicker, and she gave a grin, "I'd prefer my fox-compelling voice to be a unique skill. Hehe, being smothered like that was kind of nice. It is quite cold outside. Hi, dad." Judy had a bright, toothy smile as she laid eyes on her father.

"Hello, Jude the Dude," Stu smiled happily and hugged both of them in turn. "Good to see Lare the Square, and Nick the D- uh, no that's not right. Pr- oh, dear, I can't say that either."

"Tell me how you really feel," Nick laughed.

"How about just Nick the Slick?" Judy grinned. Stu chuckled lightly.

"How's it going, pops?" Nick asked warmly.

"Well, haven't bought the farm yet, so that's good," Stu chuckled, "though I suppose in my case it'd be more like _selling_ the farm."

" _DAD_!" Judy gave an exasperated smirk with her eyes opened fully. "Don't joke about things like that!" The three of them walked over to Bonnie. Larry traded Bonnie's hands as a platform for Stu's, and Bonnie hugged both Nick and Judy as well.

"So glad you could make it down here this winter," Bonnie said genuinely. "I'll bake such treats for all three of you that you won't want to leave!"

"Well, I have a feeling this one might want to leave if we can't get clusterfluffle two-point-oh under control," Nick smirked, jerking his head at Larry.

"It's okay, it's only a little bit terrifying," Larry said dryly.

"Now Stu, be sure to give the little ones a lecture on proper small-animal behavior," Bonnie waggled her finger at Stu.

"I sure will!" Stu smiled and pat Larry on the head again. "I'll tell them all about how Larry's the best squirrel grandson a granddad could ask for!"

"Dunno how much _that_ will help, dad, but it is true!" Judy leaned in to smooch Larry's cheek.

"Maybe I could trade in all of those 'catch the squirrel' points for a written guarantee that I wont be snuggled, smooched, nuzzled, or otherwise loved to death?" Larry asked.

"I don't know if I can promise that," Bonnie smirked, pinching his other cheek. "You're just a bit too adorable."

"Great," Larry's eyes half-lid. Nick tried not to chuckle.

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Compound Main Living Area-

With his hands in his pockets, Nick wandered around the compound in the early part of the night, delighting in the relative peace and quiet. Some of Judy's friendlier siblings would give him smiles and waves, but some of them, he noticed, still tried to avoid his line of sight. Nick just let this glance off him; he knew he couldn't expect _every_ one of the Hopps to be a fan of him. Nick smiled as he entered the main living area, with its huge array of TV screens, each of which could view a separate channel or website, or even combine to form a huge screen for family viewing, as well as the enormous curved couch that still had several bunny occupants at that point in the evening.

To one end of the couch he saw a few rocking chairs arranged, and Stu Hopps was sitting in one of them, relaxing and watching some TV. Stu seemed surprised that Nick was on his way over.

"Nick? What's the matter, son? Are the sleeping arrangements not working for you this time?" Stu blinked at the approaching fox.

"Oh no, nothing like that," Nick smiled softly, "was actually looking for you; wanted to catch up."

"Oh!" Stu looked rather happy. He motioned to an empty rocking chair by him. "By all means, then, pull up a chair!"

"Eh, I don't know about sitting in a rocking chair, pops," Nick grimaced, his tail instinctively swishing away from it. "Long tails and rocking chairs aren't the best combo." Nick did take a seat at the very edge of the long couch closest to Stu. Stu grinned at Nick, gesturing at the couch.

"You know, I've thought of adding another, higher layer to the couch. A lot of our kits and grandkits have to sit on the floor for big events nowadays," Stu gave a small smile.

"Yeah, about that," Nick hunched over, his hands laying lazily over his knees, "a lot of your children still live with you, huh? And their own kits? Isn't that getting to be a little much?"

"Oh, well," Stu gently swiped his paw in front of himself, "it's no big deal. I have a very large compound after all, and it wouldn't really do to be empty, now would it? Animals are living longer these days. Bonnie's father, Otto, lived to one hundred n' five! You remember that?"

"Yeah," Nick blinked, "that was the... well, it was very serene, for a funeral, to be honest. I suppose he lived just the sort of life anyone could ask for, really. I mean, I wasn't too much of a fan of the 'foxes are red because the Devil made them' quip he said when he met me, but he was from a different era and everything." Stu gave a small laugh, nodding in agreement. "Over eleven hundred children and great-grandchildren. Mm." Nick shook his head in awe.

"A lot of them our fault," Stu chuckled. "I think... you know, sometimes I think bunnies like Bon and I are holding we bunnies as a species back."

"Huh?" Nick looked surprised to hear him say that. "What do you mean?"

"Well, as I'm sure you've seen, Bon and I are rather, ah, traditional bunnies," Stu tilted his head a bit, "explosively breeding and whatnot. Preconceived fears of other species. I did help to perpetuate that, after all. Maybe if I didn't you'd get a warmer reception around here."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up, pops," Nick grinned, holding a paw up in caution. "It's a lot warmer here than most of Zootopia, I can tell you that much."

"Anyhow, I just thought that keeping my home open to as many of my kids and their kids as possible would be the right thing to do," Stu said, "the new-age bunnies are trying to push for more of us to get 'fixed', and while Bon and I didn't much care for that, I think I can see the merits. Having tons of kids, living a long time, it's getting hard for even my kids to find jobs or help around even my own farm!"

"I guess I never thought of that," Nick mused. "What a world, huh? Each of our species has its own problems to deal with."

"You got that right," Stu frowned slightly. "I just suppose I'm a bit ashamed that I became aware of those issues too late to actually help with any of them."

"Pops," Nick shook his head, reaching over to pat Stu on the shoulder, "you're one of the kindest people I know, of _any_ species. I'm proud to have you as a father. And hey, look, you have a fox for a son. That's something unusual, huh?" Stu gave a wobbly smile at this, but managed to keep his emotions in check with a sigh.

"One fox, and one squirrel grandkit," Stu shook his head, "if my family were more open-minded, maybe it'd be more than that." He gave another deep sigh. "Nevertheless, I think this will be my last winter." Nick's eyes flew open in alarm.

"Whuh... what!?" Nick tried to keep himself from yelping. Stu realized what he had said and gave an embarrassed huff of amusement.

"Oh, not like that!" Stu held up both of his paws. "I think this bunny body is getting a bit too old to do everything I need to do around the farm. I'm thinking of turning it all over to Jayce, actually. He's got a good mind for business, funny, smart, kind of like you, actually! I think he will do the Hopps name proud."

"Ah, that seems like a great idea," Nick relaxed backwards, and a wistful smile played across his face, but it slowly drained away. "Yeah... all I ever wanted for my dad was to be able to look back with pride over the works of his paws."

Stu smiled at this, but then realization came over him. "Nick, I have a feeling you're not talking about me..." Nick shook his head.

"Wilde Style, that's what he wanted to call it," Nick said in a soft voice. He let out an amused huff. "He wanted to sell suits to help young upstart mammals ace their job interviews, especially predators. Wanted everyone to come out of his store looking sleek and smooth. Such a good tailor. He wanted to go into a neighborhood that was having trouble, spruce up a closed down shop, and help better that block."

"That sounds like quite a nice dream," Stu said cautiously, though his stomach was starting to turn, as he was aware he'd never seen Nick's father.

"He took me to some of his pitches for funding," Nick was looking down at his lap, "cute little fox boy with a big tie on, maybe it would soften their hearts, huh? But no. I remember their words. 'John Wilde, it's a good idea, and a good location, but you're...'" Nick's voice hitched a bit and he couldn't get the words out.

"...A fox?" Stu offered the words, though they hurt his own heart to say. Nick started to sniffle a bit, but he nodded.

"'No one's going to trust a fox to give them a well-made suit', they said," Nick went on with difficulty. "It was pretty hard to watch my father's dreams get dashed just because of what he was. But he wasn't going to give up. That is, until that choice was taken from him."

"Son, if it would be too hard, just..." Stu felt tears welling up in his own eyes.

"He was run off the road high up in the Rainforest District by a drunk driver," Nick swallowed, choking out a few tears. "At least he didn't suffer." Stu cried for a little while, taking off his glasses and wiping at his eyes, as Nick tried to dry his own tears. Stu put his glasses on and then got off his rocking chair and sat up close next to Nick, putting his arm around him. "I think you'd have liked him, pops."

"When I get to those big pearly gates," Stu said after a big, shaky sigh, "I'll be sure to ask if they can look him up for me. Maybe we can hang out!" Stu offered a weak smile to his son-in-law.

"Pops!" Nick managed a terse laugh. "What is it with you and the morbid jokes today?"

"Well, you don't get to be as old as me without having a sense of humor, that's for sure!" Stu gave a small, coughing laugh.

"Oh, I know plenty of old geezers who aren't nearly as good-humored," Nick rolled his eyes. He sank into a contemplative face. "I'm not... well, I'm not really a spiritual fox, but do you think... you think foxes and bunnies even go to the same place? Afterwards?"

Stu tilted his head, thinking about this. "Well, I don't really know, I have to admit. But in case we don't, I'll have to see if the Big Guy will make an exception for me, since I do have a fox in my family, after all!"

Nicks arm tightened around Stu's shoulder. "Eh, you're all right, pops. Try to stay on the Earth a bit longer for all of us, will you?"

"I'll do my best, son," Stu chuckled.

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Compound Main Entry Hall-

After breakfast the next morning, Judy headed over to the extremely long family portrait laid out along one of the entry hall's walls. The Hopps only did one every five years or so, and it was easy to see why. Even taking the picture took an expensive, multi-lensed rig, and getting hundreds of bunnies to cooperate for one picture was an abject impossibility. Before she married Nick, it was actually hard for Judy to remember where in the family portrait she was located, but Nick's height and red fur were an easy index from a distance. She walked up to this and grinned, looking more at the smirking fox holding his smirking squirrel son than herself. She was also smirking in the picture. They sure were a family, in their own, strange little way. Judy gave a soft yelp as she didn't notice a white, albino rabbit standing next to her. Her smile slowly vanished.

"Ah, Ivory," Judy said to her slightly taller sister, Ivory Hopps. She was the only albino in her family, and her white, featureless fur and red eyes stood out among the rest of her siblings. Ivory was looking with her paws behind her back at Nick's picture.

"Stands out, doesn't he?" Ivory said in an even voice. "Among the whole fluffle. The only fox." Judy frowned.

"I'm not going to talk to you about Nick, Ivory," Judy said carefully. "You know when we do, it always ends up in a huge fight. And I may not be as young as last time, but depending on what you say, I'll still lay you out on the ground."

"I'm not looking for a fight, I'm just stating facts," Ivory frowned, looking away. "He stands out. And he's... still there."

Judy had a perplexed look on her face, but she still felt fairly cautious. "Still... there?"

"This picture's under a year old, and there he is," Ivory looked back at the picture. "It really sucks to be wrong."

"What are you talking about, Ivory?" Judy narrowed her eyes.

"Well, I know you made it a point not to invite me to your wedding or reception," Ivory said.

"Because you didn't want to come!" Judy grit her teeth. "That slot would have been wasted on you."

"Right, and you know why I didn't want to come?" Ivory asked.

"It's easy enough to figure out," Judy folded her arms. "You hate Nick. You thought our union was unnatural. You told me he wouldn't last a year, after he 'got what he wanted'."

"Right," Ivory said quietly. "So yeah. Was wrong about all that stuff." Judy's harsh expression melted and her hands unfolded.

"Ivory?" Judy seemed concerned. "Did something happen? It's really not like you to be this way. So, uh... introspective."

"Yeah, well, I've had a lot of time to think about what I thought was a blight on this family, but look at you three with your smug little grins," Ivory offered a tiny smile. "You're so awfully impossible, but there you are, a little family, super-distinct, and you look super happy, too."

"Well, we each have our problems," Judy admitted. "Not one of us is perfect, we don't always get along, and our species differences do pose some unique challenges, but... I guess we have made it work." Judy looked further down the portrait. "Oh, there you are! You're distinctive too, because of your albinism." Judy wandered over to take a closer look. "And these are your three kits, right? Was it, uh... the black girl with blue eyes is, um... Galaxy, right? Then Nebula is the black boy with brown eyes... And that leaves, uhm... the white one with blue eyes was..."

"Nova," Ivory nodded. "Wow, two out of three isn't bad for a sister who hated my guts up until a moment ago."

"Well, you gave them fairly unusual names," Judy giggled, then grinned widely. "Any of them turn out to be 'spacey'?"

"Judy..." Ivory rolled her eyes. "Kinda, yeah, Nebula is a bit out there. They'll all be eleven this year, actually."

"Where's the- where's the father?" Judy looked around for the black-furred rabbit, to no avail.

"Frank? He left me, in what I'm sure is some sort of cosmic justice for me hating Nick," Ivory folded her arms, turning her head away.

"You can't think that's true," Judy frowned. Ivory sighed.

"I know, I know," Ivory grumbled. "But yeah, I know why. I used to be a model, as you may remember. Bunnies with albinism are still seen as exotic; we get featured on a lot of products, perfume ads, clothing, I dunno, I thought it was nice to have my difference be an actual selling point for myself instead of an oddity."

"It is nice to be treasured for our differences," Judy agreed.

"Yeah but... when that's ALL they care about..." Ivory went on. "Frank was attracted to me just because of my looks. He just wanted a plaything, a trophy, I think, and got mad at me when he figured out I wasn't infertile. He somehow got it into his head that albinos were infertile, for whatever reason. I begged him to stay to help me raise the three kits, but he didn't have a tolerance for being a family buck, so he left me a few years after they were born."

"Ugh, that's terrible," Judy frowned.

"Yeah, it wasn't the best time, and I haven't been the best mother, either," Ivory admitted. "I'm glad mom and dad still had their doors open to me. Once I got this, uh, 'mom bod', it began to be harder to find work, too."

"Huh?" Judy gave a tiny smile, "I thought the 'mom bod' was coming back, it's like the new hot thing!"

"Maybe in Zootopia, but not in Bunnyburrow," Ivory shook her head. "The new-age bunnies are pushing against the 'fertile doe' look, and the skinny, thinner-hipped bunnies are all you see in the magazines these days."

"Those are the ones pushing for bucks and does to get fixed, right?" Judy asked, to Ivory's nod. "Ugh, why can't the world be as simple as things that I have to arrest to fix?"

"Tell me about it," Ivory said. "Anyway, I've given it a lot of thought, and I kind of think the world needs more crazy bunnies like you. Even if the new-age is trying to bring our numbers down to make sure future generations are sustainable, they won't get they want without doing some damage to current generations."

"I don't think MORE bunnies like me would help _too_ much," Judy gave an apologetic grin, "I'm just an aberration, an outlier. When I did my tour in Bunnyburrow to encourage the bunny youth to try new things, all I got were questions filled with fear, like 'aren't you afraid to get stepped on'? 'Have you had to kill any predators'? Things like that. I really don't know if what I'm doing is going to change anyone's mind."

"Well you got Jenny, at least," Ivory smirked. "All you can do is lead by example and hope others follow."

"That's true, I guess," Judy gave a small smile. "Well, I'm glad I don't have to hate you anymore, Ivory."

"Gee, thanks," Ivory returned a small smirk. "Anyway, say hello to that dumb fox for me if he still won't come near me."

"Oh no, you don't get to call him dumb," Judy held up a reproving finger.

"Ah, sorry, just slipped out," Ivory bared her teeth in regret.

"You can call him idiot, imbecile, moron, nitwit, nincompoop, but not dumb, that one's mine," Judy grinned. Ivory narrowed one eye.

"So... so weird," Ivory shook her head. "But I guess you're doing something right."

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Compound Main Living Area-

One quarter of the monitors in the main living area had been assembled to play a game of New Super Bash Bunnies. Larry was playing against a lot of his younger aunts, uncles, and older cousins. The game only supported eight players at a time, so after a round, whoever placed in the bottom four had to rotate out and give another four players a try. In six games, Larry had yet to be knocked out of the top four, and he placed first in three of them.

"Crud! Fifth place!" Nova dejectedly tossed his controller to one of his aunts. "I _almost_ got Larry." Nova walked over to his brother and sister and sat down.

"Jeez, you're still up there, huh Larry?" Aster chuckled, picking up a controller as he rotated in. "Fourth place, huh? That was a close one."

"Yup," Larry smirked proudly.

"We should all gang up on Larry," Lily Hopps, a light gray bunny teenager, smirked. "That way we can take him out."

"Why would you do that?" Larry asked in slight exasperation.

"No way you're that good at this game," Lily said teasingly. "You must be cheating."

"Hey, you know my mom's Judy Hopps, right?" Larry smirked. "I practice against her. That's why I'm so good."

"Have you ever beat her?" Rose Hopps, a cream and white bunny teenager who wasn't even playing, asked with a warm smile. She dangled her feet off of the couch.

"Twice," Larry said proudly. "Out of... you know, at least a hundred games."

"I could never beat her, so that's something," Aster said as they began the game. Larry noticed more of the bunnies were trying to knock him out in this round, but he had picked a large character that could knock aside his adversaries with strong, wide-ranging attacks. Those bunnies and their eagerness led them to be knocked out early.

"He's _gotta_ be cheating," Lily groaned good-naturedly and handed off her controller to a smaller nephew. "Beaten by a little squirrel."

"Hey, size doesn't matter when it comes to video game skill," Larry smirked.

"Says the guy choosing like the biggest character in the game," Aster smirked, shaking his head.

"I knew you all were going to go after me, so I picked someone who could mount a brutal defense," Larry shot back.

"Mm, an analytical strategy, very admirable..." Nebula said, nodding and folding his arms. On the next game, Larry could not defend against all seven of the bunnies attacking him at once, and was the first to go down.

"Well, I mean, that's one way you could do it," Larry groaned, rolling his eyes.

"He's out? He's _out_?" Clarissa, an excitable young female cousin and her small posse all looked exuberant. "Finally! He's ours now!" Larry had about one second to look towards them in confusion before he was pounced and grabbed. Clarissa began to carry him off.

"Wuh-wait, huh!?" Larry spat in confusion. "What's going on!?"

"You've been playing this game for like an hour!" Clarissa protested to the giggles of her cohorts. "It's our turn to play with you!"

"Aster, help!" Larry struggled and wiggled, waving his paws, but he couldn't escape the giggling girl's grasp.

"Sorry, my dude," Aster shrugged, grinning. "They're harmless enough."

"Maybe physically," Rose winced. "Psychologically, however..."

"Aster!" Larry called out again as he disappeared into the hallways.

"Hey, think I should get my camera for when he finally escapes?" Lily smirked.

"Don't even think about it," Rose looked at her sternly. Off to the side, all of Ivory's kits were talking among themselves.

"You know, we should get some of our younger cousins together and pull a prank on Larry!" Nova said excitedly.

"What? Why would we do that?" Galaxy wondered, tilting her head. "Larry's nice."

"Yeah, but he's just a little squirrel," Nova said, gesturing off to where he escaped. "Look how easily Cass took him off, and she's a little squirt!"

"Wasn't persecuting another based on their size expressly contrary to the gist of grandfather's speech to us?" Nebula cocked one of his eyebrows in a suspicious fashion.

"Awh, who cares, Neb?" Nova stamped his foot. "You know how much you, Gal, and I get made fun of at school for our dumb names. Larry's so small, and there's so many of us, and just one of him!"

"Those are all... facts," Nebula said skeptically. "However, claiming an advantage based on those factors would seem to me to be... morally objectionable."

"Neb, seriously," Nova half-lid his eyes. "If you follow every rule ever you're going to be the most boring bunny on the planet. This could be our only chance to feel what it is to be powerful like that."

"Powerful?" Galaxy tried the word. "It just sounds mean, to me."

"C'mon, we don't have to do anything too bad," Nova shrugged. "We can apologize later. Let's just have some fun now!"

"Hm, I'm afraid I don't sound that sincere when groveling," Nebula mused. "But I suppose there is some sort of perverse merit to your plan."

"I mean, as long as we don't get in trouble," Galaxy said rather dejectedly.

"Cool, let's go get some other bunnies, I've got a plan," Nova smirked and beckoned the two.

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Compound Central Kitchen-

Judy and a small handful of her brothers and sisters were helping their mother in preparing for the first round of dinner for the night when Clarissa briskly marched into the midst of the kitchen and proudly thrust out her arms, which held a very resigned-looking Larry, his eyes half-lid.

"Look! We made Larry pretty!" Clarissa smiled happily. This caused all pairs of bunny eyes to lock onto Larry, who huffed in annoyance. Over his clothes he was wearing a slightly-oversized sky-blue dress, matching headband with a large bow on it, a beaded necklace, and a bracelet. Everyone but Bonnie and Judy started laughing immediately, and it was clear Judy and Bonnie were trying very hard not to succumb.

"Please don't say anything," Larry groaned. "But if it will make you feel better, laugh."

"Pnnnk," Judy placed her hand over her mouth, trying not to. "I'm sorry, Larry, it's just...pfff!" She exploded into laughter, collapsing on her mother, who finally started laughing as well. This continued for a bit, with Clarissa giggling in happiness at the mirth she had caused. Judy looked up, balling her fists, and took a few deep breaths. "Okay, got it out of my system. Now, Clarissa, do I want to know why you just happened to have a Larry-sized dress and other accessories ready for him?"

"They came from some of my big dolls!" Clarissa explained. Bonnie took a deep breath as well, and then her face grew stern.

"Do you remember what your grandfather said about small animals, missy?" Bonnie put her hands on her hips.

"Uh, to be nice to them?" Clarissa tilted her head. "But look, I made you all laugh!" She smiled brightly.

"There is someone here who didn't laugh, though," Judy said, pointing at Larry.

Clarissa looked over at the squirrel she was holding, who was trying to avoid looking at her, and to avoid looking too frustrated at his helplessness. "Oh, uh..."

"Did you ask him if he wanted you to dress him up?" Bonnie leaned her head in towards her.

"Um, no," Clarissa shook her head.

"Remember, Larry is quite a bit older than you," Bonnie said. "You must ask him if he wants to play your games, okay? It's not polite to force him to just because he's smaller than you. He's not a doll."

"Oh, uh... I'm... I'm sorry, Larry," Clarissa brought him in close and hugged him.

"Great, grandbon, _now_ how am I supposed to be angry?" Larry gave a defeated smirk.

"Oh, you'd like to be angry?" Bonnie smirked back. "I could give you a reason." She pulled out her phone and aimed it at the bunny hugging the squirrel.

"You wouldn't _dare_!" Larry's jaw dropped.

"Mom!" Judy protested, but she was trying not to laugh again.

"I'm an old bunny, Larry," Bonnie smirked mischievously. "I ran out of dares to give a long time ago." Bonnie grinned and held her phone over to Judy. "Now doesn't that look nice?"

"Mom, delete that immediately," Judy smirked. "Maybe after sending it to me though. You think Kara might find this amusing, Larry?"

" _MOM_!" Larry screamed out, thrashing against Clarissa's grasp.

"Larry, why are you shouting so loud?" Clarissa flinched.

"Because all the does in this household are evil! _Evil_!" Larry shouted. Clarissa giggled and set Larry down.

Bonnie and Judy shared a mock evil laughter, and then Judy yelped as she saw her son dashing directly at her, leaping up to her midsection, and sitting on her shoulder, yanking the phone from her.

"Where is it!? Have you already sent it!?" Larry frantically searched for the picture.

"Didn't actually take it, Larry," Bonnie said, then laughed maliciously again. Larry pursed his lips in utter exasperation and handed the phone back off to his grandmother.

"I better get these off him before he throws them at you," Judy laughed, peeling the jewelry and extraneous clothing from the annoyed squirrel.

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Compound Guest Room #1-

"Aunt Judy! Uncle Nick! Get up quick! Please!"

Clarissa's voice landed on the ears of the previously peacefully slumbering Nick and Judy and they both jerked awake.

"Cuh... Clarissa?" Judy mumbled. "What time is it...?" Judy looked at her phone. It was 7:00 AM.

"Larry's gone! They took him!" Clarissa frantically gestured. Both Judy and Nick sat bolt upright in their beds at this. Nick launched out of bed and headed for the door.

"Nick, wait! Took him where? Who took him?" Judy asked the fidgeting gray bunny.

"Some other bunnies took him outside! I 'unno where! I told 'em not to be mean to Larry, like grampa said, but they didn't listen!" Clarissa nervously looked up to the two. Judy threw on some clothes and a coat while Nick made for the door again. He got three steps out before Judy called after him again.

"Nick, get some clothes on, for crying out loud! It's nearly freezing outside!" Judy yelled. Nick came back in, holding his index finger aloft, and hastily put on some clothes and a jacket as well. Nick and Judy both made for the front door hurridely, followed by Clarissa. Judy flinched slightly at the chilly air outside, while Nick looked back and forth, sniffing the air.

"What do I do?" Clarissa asked with worry. Nick, though he was trying to focus, narrowed his eyes and looked at the small bunny.

"Clarissa, you keep an eye on this door and try to remember anybunny who comes back in, okay? Make a list if you can," Nick admonished.

"Uhm, o-okay!" Clarissa nodded.

Nick and Judy headed out further into the front yard. Nick shook his head.

"Rgh, everything smells like bunnies here; I can't tell where they went," Nick started to look a bit panicked.

"Okay, shh," Judy said, trying to concentrate. Nick did as well. Both of their ears flicked.

"Kits' voices," Nick noticed. "From the..." He turned his head west.

"West!" Judy agreed, and both of them rushed in that direction.

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Western Stream-

"Squirrels belong in trees, don't they?" Nova smirked as several bunnies tied Larry to a branch overlooking a swift, babbling stream. Larry grit his teeth, already tired of yelling for help. He let loose a stream of angry chittering sounds. "Whoa, you kiss your mom with that mouth?" Nova smirked, sitting back against the tree trunk and folding his arms.

"What are you doing this for?" Larry felt a shot of panic as the bonds tying him to the tree didn't feel very securely knotted. He looked with dread at the rushing water down below. If the bonds gave way, he'd surely end up in the stream. It even _looked_ freezing. "I didn't do anything to you!" Larry's breaths were swift, and he was trying to fight the urge to struggle.

"Hm, maybe not," Nova grinned, "but just see this as a warning that you shouldn't mess with bunnies, even though we're small. Looks like there's always someone smaller, huh?" Larry angrily chattered at him again. "Eh, don't worry, we'll let you down. In about an hour!"

"Nova!" Larry sneered. "Just let me go!"

"Did anyone bring any extra cloth to tie around his mouth?" Nova smirked, relishing his position of power.

"Those restraints will definitely not last an hour's time," Nebula frowned up from the ground. "Surely we will be required to reinforce them? If I could merely ascend the tree, ah..." Nebula looked at the tree, but he was afraid of heights, and the tree was already filled with bunnies.

"I don't like this," Galaxy said, worriedly looking up at Larry, "maybe Nebula's right, tighten the knots! Or else maybe just let him down? C'mon, he looks scared..."

"Really? You're wussing out _now_ , Gal?" Nova sucked at his teeth, sliding down the tree, followed by the rest of his group. "Let him be scared. We're not hurting him or anything."

"Whatever you kits are doing, stop doing it!" Nick's furious voice seemed to blast from all around the bunnies. All of their pairs of ears went up and twitched in the direction of his voice.

"It's Uncle Nick! He sounds really angry!" Galaxy fretted.

"Dad! Over here!" Larry shouted out.

"Crud! I knew we should have brought some extra cloth for a gag," Nova grit his teeth. "Everyone scatter!"

The bunnies started to flee in all directions, but Nebula hesitated.

"Really, we should see about fixing those knots before we all so hastily flee..." Nebula looked at Larry, who shot him a look.

"Move it, Neb! You don't want the fox to catch you!" Nova beckoned. Shortly, only Larry was left at the tree.

"Dad, hurry!" Larry shouted out again. Ten seconds later, Nick and Judy headed into the clearing. Judy gave a gasp.

"Larry!" Both of them yelled out as they instantly processed his situation.

"I'll get him!" Judy added, starting to climb up the tree as fast as she could.

"Hurry, mom!" Larry was gasping in fear. "I can feel the bonds undoing themselves!"

Nick gave a quick glance to where the squirrel was, and the rushing, frigid water below. Judy was almost upon him, but would she make it in time? Nick grit his teeth, tossed off his jacket, and jumped into the water legs first right under Larry.

"Nick, what are you-!?" Judy yelled out, pausing for a split second.

" _JEEZ_ , this water's cold! _JEEZ_!" Nick screeched, the waist-high water biting at his nerves, but held out his arms. "Don't be afraid to fall, Larry! Mom or I will get you! Hurry, Judy, before my tail freezes!"

Judy whimpered at Nick's sudden brashness, but held tight to the branch that Larry was tied to and carefully untied him with one hand while supporting Larry so he wouldn't fall with her other hand.

"Okay, you're good!" Judy nodded, and Larry was able to wriggle around, find purchase on the branch with his claws and quickly he scampered onto Judy's back. "We're good! Now get out of the water, you maniac!"

Nick scrambled out, his pointy teeth chattering, and he tried to brush himself off.

Judy slid down the tree and gave a sigh of relief. Nick's legs were trembling. Larry's claws were so tightly dug into Judy's back that she could feel them through her coat.

"Okay, now we've got to get back and dry you off so you don't get hypothermia, you moron," Judy gave a reproving smile.

"Huh-hey, he luh-looked like he was a bout to f-f-f-fall," Nick defended himself, picking up his jacket.

"You okay, dad?" Larry shot an unsure look over to Nick.

"Are _you_ okay, s-s-son?" Nick looked at him. "That's the impuh... important part..."

"I mean, physically," Larry grimaced, "but maybe not psychologically."

"Duh-don't worry," Nick grit his teeth, "I'm going to have a WORD with those buh-buh-buh... bunnies..."

"Wow, you sure sound threatening with your teeth clacking together," Judy smiled. "Now, let's hurry. There are parts of you that I'd prefer not to freeze and break off."

"Mom!" Larry gave a chuckle, and Nick smiled slightly too. Judy and Nick headed swiftly back to the compound, with Larry riding on Judy's back.

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Compound Doe's Bathroom #3-

"Okay, does, bathroom number three is off limits until further notice!" Judy yelled out to everyone in the hall, slamming the door behind her.

"A duh-doe's bathroom, hm?" Nick grinned. "I was going to make some sort of juh-joke about how much cleaner it is, but the buh-buck's are pretty clean here, too."

"Well with so many siblings, we have some neat freaks on both sides," Judy grinned, holding up two Hare-Dryer brand fur-dryers, one in each hand. "Take off your pants."

"Gladly," Nick smirked, removing them. "If I wasn't fuh-freezing, that would be pretty hot."

"Oh it's about to get hot all right," Judy quipped, turning both fur-dryers on, the machines roaring as they spat hot air over Nick's legs and lap. Nick winced, but the hot air eventually started to feel good and soothing. Nick knew he wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with Judy over the shrieking of the machines, so instead just tried to level a smirk at her, but it drooped after awhile as the intensity of the situation wore away, and he was left musing over what could have happened. He tried not to dwell on it, but the thoughts rolled onto him just the same. After an extended dosage of warm air, Judy turned the fur-dryers off.

"Doing okay?" Judy gave a small smile, reading the concern on Nick's face.

"Physically," Nick nodded with a blank expression.

"It's all right, Nick. He wasn't hurt," Judy rustled through some drawers.

"I've worried through so many scenarios over how Larry could be hurt," Nick admitted. "I never thought I'd have to worry about the clusterfluffle, as much as I tease about them. I mean, didn't pop lecture them all on how to behave with Larry?"

"Something's up, I'll agree to that," Judy nodded. "I'm not trying to downplay what just happened. But, everything's okay. That's how I'm keeping myself calm. We left Larry with dad and told him not to let anyone touch him." Judy found what she was looking for; the largest brush in the drawer. "Here we are." Judy went over to Nick and started brushing the fur of his legs and tail.

"Really, hon?" Nick looked incredulous. "You're _grooming_ me? Who's going to care if my fur is a little out of place? I'll be wearing pants, after all." Judy put a paw to her mouth.

"Oh right, pants!" Judy giggled. "We are lacking a pair of those for you. ...Uh, and I'd rather not blind all the does on the way to our guest bedroom."

"Ah, thanks a lot," Nick chuckled dryly. Judy rushed over to the door and stuck her head out.

"I need pants!" Judy yelled out, and got some alarmed looks from her sisters and cousins. "Uh, for Nick! ...Please!" She shut the door again. Nick tried to stop chuckling.

"I'm sure we'll look back on this day and laugh, but will Larry?" Nick sighed after his emotions were under control. "Hey, maybe we should call a family meeting. I could host it. Always kind of wanted to speak to a huge audience."

"You really want to do a hunt that way for the guilty parties?" Judy wrinkled her nose, continuing to brush him.

"Maybe not that, but I will try to hammer in why their behavior was wrong, and maybe it'll draw them out," Nick thought aloud. "Maybe hearing it from someone who isn't a lovable marshmallow will make them think harder about it."

Judy paused her actions and smooched Nick on the nose. "I'm glad you like my dad."

The door to the bathroom slowly opened and a pair of pants slid into view, like an unusually-shaped ghost. Judy giggled and headed this way. The paw holding the pants belonged to Ivory.

"Here you are," Ivory said. "Can I come in?" Judy took the pants from her.

"Um, I did say 'no does'," Judy smirked. "And unless something has changed that you haven't told me about..."

"I just want to talk to you both in private, and this is as good as an opportunity as any," Ivory said bluntly. "It's not like I want to look at your fox." Judy grumbled and let her in. Despite what she said, Ivory's eyes were indeed drawn to the under-dressed fox. "Ah so uh, that's what they look like, huh."

"Changing your mind about foxes, Ivory?" Nick's voice was very smug. Ivory's eyes looked away, her ears warming slightly.

"Just put your pants on, doofus," Judy laughed, flinging the pair at Nick, who obliged.

"I was only half-joking, Ivory," Nick explained, "Judy told me you've had a change of heart?"

"I'm not actually here about that, but yeah, I don't hate that you're in the family anymore or anything," Ivory shrugged. "Anyway, Clarissa explained it all to me. She was keeping track of all the bunnies that came back from this prank that was pulled on Larry, as she was asked to by you two, and all three of _my_ kits were on the list."

"Oh," Judy blinked solemnly. "Wow, she went from prettying up Larry in a dress and bow to being our own personal little tattle-tale. Good for her."

"She what now?" Nick's eyes opened slowly. "Did hypothermia set in after all? I don't know if I heard that right."

"It's not important," Judy giggled. Ivory tried to smile, but she looked upset.

"I have to apologize for my kits' actions," Ivory shook her head. "I'm pretty sure Nova was the ringleader. He's a little firecracker and, uh, he gets bullied at school sometimes because of his name. All three of them do." Ivory looked a bit shamed. "So, in a way, I guess this is my fault."

"What?" Nick blinked. "No, someone's name is no reason to bully someone. And it's especially wrong of someone to perpetuate a cycle of bullying even though they were bullied. I definitely would like to do that family meeting thing, if Stu can arrange it."

"I will be punishing all three of them," Ivory nodded, "especially Nova. No video games or dessert for him for a month."

"I think more important than a physical punishment is an understanding of why what they did was wrong," Judy said, putting her hand on Ivory's shoulder. "Maybe Nick can reach them through a speech?"

"Guess we'll see; I'm going to go talk to pops now," Nick headed for the door, but turned back and unleashed a taunting smile. "Speaking of 'see', did you like what you saw, Ivory?" Nick flicked his tail. Ivory let out a huff of embarrassment.

"Feel free to smack him, Ivory; you have my permission," Judy gave her a warm, tired smile.

"I think you guys have been through enough this trip," Ivory gave a sigh.

* * *

-Hopps Family Farm Compound Meeting Hall-

The cleaned up, warmed up, and fluffed up fox took the stage and gave a small smirk as he picked up his microphone. Every member of the Hopps family that was able was sitting in the audience, and Nick gave his eyes a sweeping glance over them all. His thoughts slightly strayed, wondering if bunnies liked to practice plays on their own built-in theater, but he took a breath and calmed himself for the speech he had prepared.

"Hi," Nick began with his smooth voice. "I'm Nicholas Piberius Wilde-Hopps. Maybe you've heard of me? No, there isn't a funny story behind my middle name." There were a few stifled laughs. "Some of you know me as 'the fox', and that's fine. Some call me brother, and that's cool, some uncle, two of you even call me son!" Nick waved at Bonnie and Stu, who both waved back. "And one arguably fortunate bunny in this auditorium, well, she calls me husband. Let's give her a paw, shall we? What a patient bunny she is to put up with me, huh?" Applause and cheering rang out as Nick gestured at her, and Judy flashed an embarrassed smile.

"Anyway, this isn't about any of that," Nick admitted. "This is about the one here who calls me... well... he calls me dad. C'mon, son." Nick beckoned, and Larry got off of Judy's lap and headed up onto the stage, standing next to Nick. He only came up to his waist. "You all know who this is, right?"

"LARRY!" The exuberant youths of the audience shrieked in delight, and Larry's eyes flew open and he flinched. He was actually rather surprised at the enthusiasm.

"Right," Nick chuckled. "We're here to talk about Larry. Especially that reaction to him. "So, can someone tell me why you like Larry so much?" A small fuzzy forest of paws shot up. "Um, wow! Yes, my little niece in the middle there in the purple shirt."

"Larry's so small an' cute an' huggable!" The bunny yelled out proudly.

"Ooh, I'm very glad you used those words," Nick pointed and then swiped his arm. "So, can everyone tell me what word bunnies don't like to be called by other animals?"

"CUTE!" The thunderous word rang out.

"Excellent! Now, someone tell me why bunnies don't like to be called cute," Nick led on. "Judy, I know you know this one, so I'm not calling on you. Yes, my brother in the front here with the tan coat."

"Being called cute by larger animals is kind of demeaning, even if they mean it in a nice way," the bunny explained. "Other animals take us less seriously because we just seem fuzzy and harmless to them."

"Oh, great answer, really great," Nick grinned widely. "Now. About that. Does anyone here know how old Larry is?" Only a few hands went up. "Ah, see? Okay, how about my sister way in the back there?"

"Larry just turned sweet sixteen not too long ago!" The bunny smiled as she answered.

"Yes!" Nick nodded. "Did you all know that? This small little squirrel here is older than a lot of you younger ones! He's almost an adult, isn't that scary to think?" Nick smirked at Larry who just returned the look. "Now, I'm sure many of you learned that some of you smaller bunnies pulled a prank on him this morning. Not only is that wrong, but it was a rather dangerous prank, and he could have been hurt. Now, all or most of you in this family love Larry, and why shouldn't you? He's a great squirrel. So. I am wondering what on Earth could make you want to bully this squirrel in such a fashion." There was only a little bit of murmuring, and then silence.

"Dad..." Larry looked up at him. "I think they got it."

"Do they, son?" Nick twisted his muzzle a bit, and his voice started to lose its joviality. "Let's just go over this one more time. You small bunnies dislike being called cute. You dislike being diminished in the other eyes of animals. Yet some of you thought it would be a good idea to put _my son_ in danger because... why? He's smaller than you? It's easy to just pick him up and place him wherever you want? Those of you responsible for this, I'm not going to call you out by name. But I have had someone record who you are, so we do know. I want you to go to sleep at night and reflect on your actions. I want you to-"

Nick was interrupted by a dark shape running for the stage, whimpering. It was Galaxy. She stumbled onto the stage and started crying. Nick and Larry were both equally surprised.

"L-Larry, I'm so sorry!" Galaxy wiped tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry for what we did to you, I really am. I told them... I told them it was a bad idea, but I... I didn't stop it... I'm as bad as any of those other bunnies... I'm... please don't hate me..."

"Shh, Galaxy, it's okay, really!" Larry held his paws up and made a cautionary gesture. "Everyone's watching, just try to calm down...!"

"No! I can't c-calm down!" Galaxy wiped more tears away. "You're gonna hate us and not wanna visit us again and it's all gonna be _our_ fault for being such dumb bunnies!" She continued to sniffle.

"Whoa, no one said anything about that," Nick said. "You're going to have to try harder than that to get rid of your fox uncle. ...Not that I recommend that." Galaxy hiccuped. Larry gave a small sigh and offered his arms. Galaxy ran forward to hug him, and Larry tried to console her. Even several years younger than him, she was almost half a head taller and a good bit wider. She still hugged on tightly to the small squirrel. The rest of the audience didn't know how to react.

"It's all right, Galaxy," Larry said calmly. "It's okay."

Another dark shape walked up calmly onstage. This one was Nebula. He walked over to Nick with one paw behind his back and held out the other paw.

"May I say something?" Nebula asked. Nick was so blindsided by the audacity of the small black bunny that he handed the microphone over to Nebula.

"Reflecting on uncle Nick's words have caused me to realize something," Nebula said calmly. "I have learned today that oppressing the weak and small is easy." Several bunnies gasped, and looked at Nebula in alarm. "However, I am aware of the saying that nothing in life worth doing is easy. Therefore, such oppression is a worthless endeavor, and I am ashamed of my complicity in today's events." He turned to Larry. "Larry, I ask only your forgiveness, if you would in time be willing to give me that."

"Uh, you got it," Larry gave a small smile, trying to remove himself from Galaxy. It wasn't working, however, because Galaxy was still hugged on tight.

"Thank you, uncle," Nebula calmly offered the microphone back to Nick, who accepted it. Nebula stood over by his sister.

"Is that kit for real?" Judy asked Jayce skeptically, who was sitting next to her.

"He is a bit of an oddball," Jayce chuckled.

"Let me wrap this up with a piece of advice I've given to Larry myself," Nick said. "A person is smart. People are stupid. That means that in a group, everyone's only as smart as the worst idea that prevails in that group. To avoid that, you just have to be strong enough to ask yourself the question 'is this right'? If it's not, either challenge the group, or leave. I'm not going to say this is easy, because believe me, it isn't. But if you want to prove you're a strong bunny, you have to challenge others and fight for what you know is right."

Finally, a white shape climbed up to the stage and gave a huff. It was Nova. Nick glanced at him, and Nova glanced back.

"I was behind it all," Nova admitted, though not into the microphone. He heard some gasps. "It's just cause my brother and sister and I get teased at school all the time. I wanted to feel what it was like to be on the other end. No one can stop a fluffle of bunnies when they want to do something..." He gave a weak laugh. "I knew it was wrong and I did it anyway. I guess that makes me uh... evil, huh?"

Nick gave him a long look. "Maybe, maybe not. Some of you might know I wasn't always a paragon of a fox, either. A wise bunny once said to me that the more we try to understand everyone's differences, the more exceptional we'll all be. I've never forgotten that."

Judy gave a small smile from the audience, and Nova slowly nodded.

* * *

-Bunnyburrow Station-

Stu and Bonnie Hopps had driven Judy, Nick, and Larry to the station so they could say their goodbyes as they prepared to head back to Zootopia. Hugs were shared all around by the family members as they waited for the train to roll in.

"I hope you guys won't take this as an incentive not to visit us soon," Stu said with obvious regret in his voice. "I guess I should have made it clearer what being mean to Larry meant."

"Oh, don't blame yourself for that, pops," Nick shook his head. "You did your part; it's up to the kits to listen."

"You sure you're okay, Larry?" Bonnie tilted her head. "I brought some raisins for you if you'd like them. I just hope you haven't... you know, developed some sort of scarring that will haunt you forever." She giggled nervously.

"No, grandbon," Larry chuckled, taking the small pack of snacks Bonnie offered. "I've got a lot of terrifying experiences to go before I can match mom or dad. It was kind of thrilling, in a strange way."

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it," Judy smirked. "I don't want bunnies or _anyone_ to get it into their heads that its okay to be mean to you."

"Maybe we could hook you up with a bunny taser," Stu joked. The five had a little laugh at this. The train slowly pulled in, and they all gave each other one last hug before loading up onto the train.

"Bye, you crazy kits!" Stu waved, his lip wobbling. "Cripes, it never gets any easier to watch them head off."

"Yes, well they're all in good paws with each other," Bonnie pat Stu on the chest with one arm as she had the other around him.

"So you wanted Larry to sit on my side this time so you don't panic?" Nick asked seriously as they loaded onto the train and found some seating.

"Let him sit between us so we can both pat him on the head for being such a nice boy," Judy grinned. They both looked at Larry, who rolled his eyes, but had a smile on.

"Wow, no protests?" Nick asked as they sat down.

"Hey, this doesn't even register on the list of upsetting things that have happened to me on this trip," Larry chuckled.

"Yeah, I know, kiddo," Nick said, placing one hand on his back, and Judy put the other around his back.

"I mean, mom joked she was going to send the picture of me in a dress to _Kara_!" Larry looked at her with a challenging face.

"Wow, that got to you more than the tree?" Judy giggled.

"That really happened, huh?" Nick gave an amused exhale. "Sorry I missed it."

"Dad..."


	25. Secretive Partners

-Central Mezzo Park-

"That's one medium blueberry, one medium orange, and a small grape," Vivian Reddish said in declaration. The vixen arranged the frozen drinks on the counter in front of her.

Judy Wilde-Hopps energetically bounced up and slammed a bill down on the counter. "And keep the change!" The blue-eyed vixen chuckled and took the money from her.

"What, no protest that we're paying this time?" Nick chuckled, picking up the blueberry and grape drinks, the latter of which was for his son, Larry.

"Isn't that joke wearing a little thin?" Vivian smirked, putting her arm on the counter. "If you two are thirsty and don't have the strength to reach into your wallets, you know I'd give you a drink for free. But money is nice, too." Vivian chuckled.

"Now that's more like a fox," Nick smirked.

"Nick, come on," Judy shook her head in disappointment, and started to head away with Nick. They both sipped their respective drinks as they headed towards the edge of the park to go home to their apartment. It was quite a warm day in early spring, and Nick and Judy's pace was unhurried as they enjoyed the scenery.

"Maybe we should pick up the pace before Larry's drink melts?" Nick chuckled as they approached the subway.

"If he didn't want it to melt, he could have come with us instead of staying at home," Judy shot back with a suck of her teeth.

"I'm pretty sure he was wrapped up in texting, ah, how do they say it these days? The 'bae'," Nick wiggled his eyebrows. Judy made a disgusted face.

"Oh Nick, please don't," Judy whined. "You can only push 'cool dad' so far before it loops back around into 'lamest dad possible'."

"I'll keep that in mind," Nick laughed as they entered the train bound to their station. "Hey, uh, you ever wonder about Vivian?"

"What, specifically?" Judy tilted her head, sipping from her drink.

"Well, she's an attractive vixen who comes from an old, successful line of farming foxes," Nick started to count on his fingers. "She loves mammal-watching in the park, and she's super friendly."

"Uh huh," Judy nodded, "and...?"

"Don't you think it's weird that in the decade-plus that we've known her that she... you know, hasn't had a significant other she's told us about?" Nick shrugged.

"I'm surprised to hear this from you!" Judy laughed. "You're the one that's always on my tail about asking Karen about her relationship with Crystal. Even though you do it as well."

"That's a little bit different, Judy," Nick said. "Karen needs a bit of the 'kit gloves'. Vivian is gregarious. It's... well, it's just kind of odd to me that she doesn't have someone she brags about."

"Not everyone has to be in a relationship to be happy, Nick," Judy shrugged. "Though I'll admit I can't imagine I could have lasted this long without you, you big red fluff-face." Some mammals turned their head to look at Judy at this obviously affectionate statement. Judy gave an embarrassed grin, then straightened up and flashed her badge with her free hand. "As you were!" The mammals turned their head to leave her alone and she grinned enormously. "I love doing that."

"Mm, abusing your power," Nick chuckled, shaking his head as the train screeched to a halt and the two started to disembark. "I never told you how I love it that my sweet little bunny is so corrupt, to her naughty little core." Nick held his drink against Judy's neck and she let out a shrill yelp.

"H-hey!" Judy laughed, starting forward and scrunching her shoulders to protect her neck. "You'd have bought me another drink if I'd dropped it! I suppose you're right though, there are deep dark things about me that only a fox with his secret-prying night vision can peel off of me." Judy tried to put a seductive edge into her words, wiggling her hips.

"Wow, did you really just try to sensualize my night-vision?" Nick shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk."

"Hey, come on," Judy laughed with a bounce in her step. "You know awkward flirting is your favorite. It's harder to come up with new quips in my old age."

"Oh, don't even," Nick sneered at her playfully. "I'll be a skeleton before your back even gives out."

Judy slowed, blinking. "Well, _that's_ a buzz-kill."

"Just teasing," Nick shrugged.

"Let's cross off skeletons and night-vision from the things we can flirt with each other about," Judy said, swiping her index finger in midair.

"Now you know, I actually did like that little bunny quip," Nick chuckled.

"Well, make up your mind!" Judy kicked Nick softly in the ankle as they approached their apartment building. "You foxes are so hard to read!"

"Yeah, we can be," Nick nodded. "That just makes me wonder more about Vivian. Think _she_ has any dark secrets in her fruit-filled fridge?"

"Nice alliteration, bozo," Judy grinned, rummaging through her pocket for her keys. "If we knew them, they wouldn't be secrets, now would they?"

"So you _do_ think she has some," Nick smirked.

"Nick, get in the dang apartment and give Larry his drink," Judy snapped her fingers, pointing inside after she opened the door.

"Larry! Got you your favorite from Vivian's!" Nick called out. "You're not wistfully staring at pictures of that ferret again, are you?"

"Uh, nope!" Larry's voice came from inside his room.

"Lying to your father again, shame," Nick sighed in mock disappointment, "oh well, your drink's about half-melted, so I guess that's punishment enough." Larry came out with a small smirk on and accepted the drink. "And Kara better be fully clothed in all of those pictures."

Larry blinked in surprise. "Oh, she is, of course!" The gray squirrel sipped his drink.

Nick narrowed his eyes, grinning. "Hm, can't read him. That's worrying."

"Only took you ten years to be able to hide something from your father," Judy gave a small smirk. "Maybe we should just give his phone a once-over just to be safe."

"Mom, I'm seventeen, c'mon," Larry shook his head, then sighed as he began to feel a small twinge of guilt. "Okay, do you consider 'swimsuit' fully clothed?"

"Hmm... I think we can let that slide," Judy giggled.

"Squirrel's gonna squirrel," Nick shrugged. Larry rolled his eyes and headed back to his room with a few chattering sounds. Nick saluted. "And a squeak squeaker squeaken to you too!"

"Careful, Nick, you know what I just said about the 'cool dad' meter," Judy waggled her straw at him.

"Hey, champ, how cool am I?" Nick cheerfully called through Larry's door.

"Super cool!" Larry shot back in an ambiguous voice.

"Ouch, maybe you're right, Judy," Nick tapped his own straw on his muzzle in mock concern. Judy brought a paw to her mouth and giggled.

* * *

-Savanna Central Streets, Outside of Aardvark Rise-

About twenty days later, both Judy and Nick decided that neither of them felt like preparing dinner, so Nick was sent out in search of some fast food. As he headed down the street's sidewalk, the corner of his eye caught some red fur headed down the opposite side of the street. Nick's attention was diverted, and he saw that it was most likely Vivian. She appeared to be heading into a thinly-populated cafe. Curious, Nick considered his actions as he went to the corner to wait for the crosswalk. He decided to put on his sunglasses, even though the sun was beginning to set, and untie his tie, carefully loop it, and put it in his pocket.

With all of his instantly recognizable features gone, Nick tucked his shirt in as a final step and headed into the cafe. He looked around the cafe as the red panda seater tried to make eye contact with him.

"Ah, table for...?" Her voice sounded apologetic as she couldn't meet the shifty fox's gaze.

"Oh, just looking for a friend," Nick said in a slightly deeper voice than usual, checking out the tables from the entrance. With the attendance low, it was easy to see Vivian. Nick kept his face reactionless as she embraced a gray fox female who was somewhere between Nick and Judy's height. Nick turned his muzzle away and pretended to be looking at the menu, and out of the side of his glance he caught the two giving each other a kiss and a small nuzzle before sitting down and enthusiastically talking with each other.

"Are they here, or will you be waiting?" The red panda tilted her head curiously.

"Actually, I think I might have the wrong place, my apologies," Nick said in his masked voice, giving a small wave.

"No trouble," the red panda narrowed her eyes in slight bafflement as Nick left.

Nick resumed his trek towards "Cheesy and Nuts", the Wilde-Hopps' favorite fast food joint, pondering what he just saw. Vivian was being quite friendly with that gray fox, but Nick had never seen her before in his life. He internally wondered just how good of friends Vivian considered him and his wife. She was invited to their wedding, which she gladly accepted; she even helped with the drinks at the reception.

Maybe she was just that friendly with everyone, Nick pondered. Nick clutched at his neck. It felt strange and bare, so he began to re-tie his tie and remove his sunglasses. He wondered about Vivian, and why he cared so much about her level of friendship with them. He'd never considered himself a nosy mammal before, not like Judy could be.

Nick didn't get that good of an angle to see the gray fox, but it definitely was a female, he thought. Surely, Vivian didn't think that he or Judy was so intolerant that they'd be dismissive or hostile to a relationship between two vixens, did she?

"What heavy thoughts to be having right outside a nut-burger joint," Nick chastised himself aloud, shoving his hands in his pockets and heading into the establishment. He decided to ignore what he saw.

* * *

-Central Mezzo Park-

"No one was hurt, were they?" Judy wondered as she looked over a medium-sized, scorched patch of grass with Nick. Both of them were on the job and in uniform. Jenny Hopps, one of Judy's sisters, stood next to them in her Zootopia Fire Department uniform, folding her arms.

"No, thankfully," the light-gray furred bunny said, "the victims of the attack just had slight fur singeing. They were sent to Mercy General just in case they inhaled smoke."

"Hey, how cool is it that we're actually working on a case together, Jenny?" Judy said with a small smile.

"Well, there's nothing 'cool' about arson," Jenny said seriously, but then cracked a smile, "in more ways than one. Hey!" She pointed at Nick and Judy. "Sorry, that was a bit tasteless."

"You're definitely Judy's sister," Nick chuckled. "So, what caused this fire?"

"I'm thinking this," Jenny said, heading over and crouching near a broken bottle with a scorched rag in it.

"Molotov cocktail, huh?" Nick looked at it. "Someone threw _this_ at the victims?"

"Yeesh, and what were the victims again?" Judy got a thick glove on so she could inspect the bottle. "Medium-size bottle..."

"A cougar and a white-tailed deer, both male," Jenny recalled.

"Were they doing anything unusual?" Judy took some pictures of the bottle. "The victims?"

"Uh," Jenny shrugged. "I didn't think to ask. They just said they were holding hands, walking in the park?"

"Hm, that might be unusual enough for a hate crime," Nick's mouth twisted into a frown. "Did they see their attacker?"

"Neither got a good description, but they were sure it was a fox," Jenny nodded.

"Really," Nick's teeth barely showed. "Great. Someone's making a good name for us. What kind? Red?"

"Uh-huh," Jenny nodded. Nick looked out to Vivian's stand. She was closing up for the day.

"Looks like we won't be getting any refreshment after we're done here," Nick smirked. "Did you already ask Vivian about this, Judy? She's just a stone's throw away."

"Yeah, but her cart faces south, and we're northeast of her cart," Judy pointed out, "she said she heard a glass breaking sound and craned her head to look, but only saw the victims backing up from the initial blaze."

"Hm," Nick pondered, his gaze fixed on Vivian.

Judy gave him an annoyed look. "Nick, are you seriously getting suspicious of Vivian? About a probable _hate crime_? You know Vivian is super open-minded. She was thrilled when you and I got together. There ARE other red foxes in this whole city, you know. And it looks like at least one of them is a huge jerk."

"And possibly a pyro," Jenny nodded, "who in their right mind carries around Molotov cocktails, really?" Jenny adjusted her fire-fighter's hat.

"You're going to hate me for this," Nick started, grinning, "but that uniform looks amazing on you."

"Yeah, it's even worse than Judy's," Jenny chuckled. "I look like a kit playing pretend, don't I?"

"No, and no," Judy said firmly, and glared at Nick.

"What, she doesn't look amazing?" Nick shot back.

"I meant no to both of the things Jenny said, not you too," Judy sighed. Jenny laughed. Nick's eyes caught Vivian leaving her stand to the south. Nick narrowed his eyes slightly, as this wasn't the direction she usually left, but he was going to dismiss it until he caught Vivian giving a small glance over her shoulder, and picking her pace up. Suspicion bubbled up into Nick's chest.

"Hey, you got things here for now, bunnies?" Nick asked. "I think I should go find a restroom."

"Sure!" Jenny said perkily.

"Hurry back, we're almost done marking everything here," Judy said.

Nick carefully tailed Vivian, who was still heading south. She gave occasional glances to her sides, but failed to notice Nick. He felt a little bad that he still was so easily able to keep a low profile, even in uniform. He felt like he stood out as if he was wearing a neon sign, but keeping to the shadows of trees, walking casually, and only moving when he was about to lose her kept him out of sight.

Eventually, Vivian stopped moving near the largest body of water in Mezzo park. It was a great location for picnics, and a superb spot to watch sunsets. Nick noticed an unusual sight, a dark gray-furred fox with a black muzzle, ears, limbs, and tail, with a white tip at the end of his tail. This fox appeared to be setting up an artist's easel, but he paused when he noticed Vivian coming. He gave a shy smile and the two exchanged some words, though Nick couldn't quite make them out, as he was just barely able to see them.

Nick drew in a bit of a sharp breath, however, as he saw Vivian embrace the dark-furred fox, affectionately play with his muzzle, and give him a tender kiss. The two looked warmly at each other for awhile before Nick felt he had seen enough and turned away. He began walking briskly back to the bunnies.

"So that's it," Nick muttered to himself, "that's why she's never told us about her relationships. Because she's trying to balance more than one. Hmph." Nick felt disquieted. Vivian seemed so nice to him, but it appeared that she did have some secrets in her 'fridge' after all. He wondered what the best course of action to take next would be.

Probably to focus on this arson case, Nick grumbled to himself.

"I'm done, thanks for all the help," Judy teased sarcastically. "Wait, what's wrong?"

"Huh?" Nick shrugged. "Oh, nothing."

"Not 'nothing'," Judy shook her head. "Your ears are laying flat. What, you think I'm not going to notice something like that?"

"Ah, uh, I just saw something rather unpleasant at the bathroom," Nick fibbed.

"Ugh, say no more," Judy held up a paw. "Let's get this stuff to the lab, foxy-boy, and see if we can find out what other bad foxy needs to be punished."

"Let's get together for dinner soon," Jenny waved.

"For sure!" Judy waved back as they departed.

* * *

-Central Mezzo Park-

The weekend began the very next day, and Nick felt like purging the emotional burden he was beginning to accumulate. Judy saw an advertisement for some squirrel-sized clothes and she dragged Larry out of the apartment to go look at them with her. Nick was easily able to avoid being roped in, and instead he left the apartment by himself, in his casual clothes, and moved off to the park. Nick made his way swiftly over to Vivian, who smiled when she saw him. Nick wore an even expression.

"Hey, Nick!" Vivian grinned. "Do you want a blueberry slush today, or would you prefer to branch out?"

"Not thirsty," Nick said plainly.

"Oh, uh," Vivian looked confused, and looked over his regular clothes. "Are you on the job? I told Judy everything I knew about the arson."

"I'm not here about the arson, Vivian, I'm here about your relationships," Nick kept his voice even, but Vivian's eyes widened. All the warmth drained out of her face, and Nick actually looked taken aback. Vivian's face nearly matched Nick's. Both of their eyelids fell a bit and they stared at each other. Nick didn't know if he'd ever seen Vivian look like this before.

"All right," Vivian said slowly. "What about them?"

"Vivian!" Nick's voice raised. "In the past couple of months I've seen you with a gray fox female and a... an unusually colored male fox! So who is it? Which one is your mate and which one is the one you're cheating on them with!?" Vivian bared her teeth in an angry expression, and Nick's eyes widened farther. He had _definitely_ never seen her angry before.

"So, I've had a police officer stalking me, lovely," Vivian said with quiet malice.

"I don't know where you think _you_ get off being angry," Nick's brow furrowed and he slammed one of his index fingers into the palm of the other hand. "I feel for those poor foxes you're leading on! The ones you're splitting your devotion between!"

"Is that how you think it is?" Vivian barked at him. "Typical! You're just a typical fox, after all this!"

"What?" Nick gestured at his chest with two paws. "Oh, sure! I'm typical. Besides for the fact that my mate is a bunny. So, yeah, except for the one thing that makes me completely different from any fox I've known, I'm just your average joe sly fox." He made a mocking walking in place gesture.

"Rgh, that's not what I mean!" Vivian ran her hands through her forehead in aggravation. "I _don't_ want to talk to you about this. You don't understand! You _can't_ understand!"

"What is there to _get_ , Vivian!?" Nick growled, then shut his eyes and calmed himself. "Listen. I didn't take any pictures; I don't have any evidence. I'm not trying to ruin your life or anything."

"Could have fooled me!" Vivian thrust her head forward. Her eyes seemed a bit glassy, but she wasn't crying.

Nick sighed. "Look, I just think they deserve to know, you know?"

"Okay, sure!" Vivian gave a clearly angry smile. She pulled out her phone. "Which would you like to talk to first? Catherine, or Avery? Who do you want to call? Tell them 'excuse me, I'm a police officer, and the vixen you think you love is a dirty unfaithful CHEAT'!"

"Vivian, I'm not going to do that!" Nick put his hand to his forehead. "I shouldn't be the one to tell them! I don't know where you're getting off being so angry, anyway!"

" _Because they don't need to hear it from me_!" Vivian shouted even louder at him, enunciating each word. Her lips were trembling.

"You wanna keep it going, huh?" Nick said, his voice lowering. "You don't want to come clean. You want to keep-"

"FINE!" Vivian squeezed her eyes shut and stamped a foot. "Just... fine! You want me to come clean!? FINE." Vivian started messing with her phone, her muzzle scrunched in a snarl.

"Vivian..." Nick started, catching Vivian's furious glare a few times as she worked with her phone. Nick flinched as Vivian thrust her phone at him.

"There!" Vivian barked. "Are you happy now!?"

Nick blinked. It was a picture of Vivian, the gray fox, and the dark-furred fox. Both of them were kissing Vivian on the cheeks, and all three looked quite happy. Vivian had a cute expression on, winking one eye and her tongue barely out.

"Uh... okay," Nick nodded slowly. He looked slightly confused, but he didn't want to admit that.

"I'm polyamorous," Vivian gave a heavy sigh. "Look, I can see the bafflement on your muzzle. You see why I didn't want to tell you? Or anyone?"

"I... I guess?" Nick shrugged. Vivian took her phone away from him. "I... I guess I don't understand how you can... love two mammals equally?"

"You don't understand!" Vivian gave a smirk. "Because you're a typical fox. And Judy is a typical bunny."

"Again, not seeing that," Nick folded his arms.

"Letting alone the whole inter-species thing, you're actually perfect for each other," Vivian managed a weak huff of amusement. "The inter-species bit just adds a bit of excitement to both of you. You know that both foxes and bunnies have had stigma surrounding them in generations past about being unfaithful, right?"

"Yeah," Nick nodded. "A 'vixen' was an unfaithful female mammal, though the usage is falling off. And small, promiscuous escorts usually got called 'bunnies' regardless of species."

"Why were those perpetuated, do you think?" Vivian folded her arms.

"Well, for bunnies, I'm guessing their ability to explosively procreate," Nick mused, tapping his chin. "But for foxes? You know, I don't know. Maybe it's because we're all so darn good-looking."

"And another reason is that they were both bold-faced lies," Vivian chuckled wryly. "Ninety-nine point nine percent of all foxes and bunnies are monogamous. Mate for life with one partner. So in that respect, yeah, you and Judy are totally typical. And you make an adorable couple."

"Well, thanks, I think," Nick scratched his head. "So you don't have a problem with monogamous relationships or anything?"

"No," Vivian shook her head, "I just prefer something a bit more. But do you think I want to be the one to try to hurt the image of foxes at large? Do you think any of the three of us do? We foxes all already have enough problems hanging around us without 'vixen' coming back as a popular epithet."

"So you uh..." Nick mumbled. "You know, I'm really trying to ask a question that doesn't sound offensive, but it's kind of hard."

"It's hard for you to even envision, isn't it?" Vivian smirked. "You wouldn't dream of having a vixen on the side, even with Judy's knowledge."

"I guess I'm glad we never got together, then," Nick sighed. "If I wouldn't have been 'enough' for you."

"See, that type of thinking is so ingrained into you," Vivian rolled her eyes. "It would take forever to explain how we feel about each other. It's more about sharing each other than about 'owning' each other." Nick stared at her quietly for a long time.

"I'd... hm," Nick pondered something, "I'd like to meet your other mates, one-on-one."

Vivian looked defensive. "Should I ask why?"

"Because up until this point there are two people you've been hiding from me that I could call friends," Nick explained. "I think that's the true damage of not letting ANYONE, even your closest platonic friends, in on this stuff."

"I guess you're right," Vivian shook her head. "Well, first, you'll have to meet Catherine. She'll be livid if I let you meet Avery first."

"Why...?"

"It's complicated," Vivian grinned. "Hope you like stories."

"Love 'em," Nick smiled slightly. "Sorry for blowing up at you."

"Me too, but it's just because I knew how you'd react," Vivian looked away pensively.

"I should have cut you more slack since we've known each other so long," Nick gave an apologetic sigh.

"So, has all this yelling made you thirsty yet?" Vivian perked back up. "Would you like your usual?"

"No, surprise me," Nick flashed a toothy grin.

"You mean, again?" Vivian giggled, heading to her drink-mixing machine.

* * *

-Outside the Grand Zootopia Library-

Offering to do some grocery shopping after their shift a few days later, Nick first stopped by the Grand Zootopia Library, an impressively tall building near the heart of the whole city. He checked his phone to be sure of the time, and looked at the massive doors. Soon enough, one of the door's smaller segments opened and a gray fox stepped out and started walking down the steps. Just like "red fox", "gray fox" was a bit underselling the description of such a fox.

Her face and primary color were mostly of a handsome, grizzled gray, with white masking below her eyes and going down to her neck. Small bits of reddish-orange fur colored bits of her ears, and her arms and legs. Her tail seemed to have a mixture of all the fur colors on her body, but had a distinctive black stripe on its backside. Her warm brown eyes stood out in contrast to the rest of her earthy colors. She was slightly shorter than Nick, but a bit taller than Nick knew Judy was. Nick gave her a wave.

"A moment of your time, miss?" Nick cheerfully called out. He was wearing his usual casual clothes, a loud shirt, subdued pants and tie.

"I'm not buying anything," the gray fox said snippily, "and if you're going to try to give me a pamphlet on the Vulpine Scriptures, it's going straight in the trash."

"Oh no, nothing like that," Nick chuckled. "I'm Nick Wilde-Hopps. Uh, Vivian may have mentioned me?"

"Ah great, even better," she said, searching the sky with her eyes and shaking her head in disapproval, "I'm Catherine Katarina Marengo and if you make ANY jokes about my name I will be going to jail for assaulting a police officer. You _especially_ may not call me Cat, or Cat-Kat. Your name being Nick does not entitle you the free use of nicknames."

Nick shook his head. "Wow, I really should be keeping track of how many times I've had that quip thrown at me." He chuckled. "Can we walk and talk?"

"If you're capable of that," Catherine snipped, not slowing down. "Unfortunately for me, the subway is a few blocks from here, and these lights are notoriously long for pedestrians. Great for people who want to get to the library, isn't it?"

"I can definitely see what Vivian sees in you," Nick said jovially.

"Yes, well, when you have tastes as eclectic as ours, I suppose beggars can't be choosers," Catherine quipped at him, but then her eyes turned away from him. "Of course, I'm a lot nicer to people I actually like."

"A fair point," Nick nodded. "I'm curious as to how you two met?"

"Like all great love stories, ours began on the internet," Catherine sighed. Nick tried not to chuckle. "What? Like I said, strange tastes. Foxes are almost notorious for being monogamous. Where else am I going to meet someone like that? I'm not a clubbing sort of girl."

"No, you appear to be a librarian," Nick shoved his hands into his pockets, "not that that precludes you being a clubbing type, just..."

"If you make any sort of quips about the 'quiet ones' and their propensity for unusual tastes in bedroom activities..." Catherine narrowed her eyes as the light finally changed.

"I have to say though, I do like the fiestiness," Nick chuckled. "How is working at that lovely building?" Nick nodded his head towards the library.

"It's passable," Catherine rolled her eyes. "Libraries these days are basically glorified internet cafes anyway. Also, being a medium-small animal means I have to do a lot of climbing, compared to giraffes and other more traditional librarians. I just like the feel of books, you know? You can just... mmm... _smell_ them. Or you know, _smack_ someone with one." Catherine finally betrayed a smile.

"Well, you can smack someone with a pad device too, it just might cost you several hundred bucks," Nick shrugged his shoulders.

Catherine actually laughed. "Oh, I can see why Vivian likes _you_." Her hurried pace along the sidewalk slowed down dramatically, and Nick matched it. "So yeah, we met online. It was very undramatic. She's a total sweetheart, as you may know. Like a refreshing apple, crisp and sweet, but not overwhelming."

"Hm, rather fitting for Vivian to be related to a red fruit," chuckled Nick, "how about you, then?"

"Vivian says I'm more like a lemon," Catherine smirked. "Zesty, sometimes sour, sometimes sweet, zingy and a tasty blast."

"Heh, not bad," Nick said, stopping at another corner with her, waiting for the crosswalk. "And your third...?"

"Well he's more like a... wait, I guess I should tell you how we met him, that's a bit more of an interesting story," Catherine nodded. "We'd both agreed we'd like a third person in our relationship, and we thought for the most variety it might be best for it to be a male. We weren't really picky on the species."

"This is so _odd_ to me," Nick shook his head.

"Odder still was the ad that Avery had placed," Catherine recalled. "He stated he was looking for a 'real' relationship between two females, preferably foxes, to 'observe'. He also stipulated that he did not want anyone to see him until he met with his prospective partners."

"That, no offense, sounds _incredibly_ creepy," Nick narrowed one eye. "You two went for that?"

"No no, I agree! It _did_ sound creepy," Catherine scrunched her knees and gestured forwards. "I thought it was some pervert who just wanted to see a couple of girls smooching for his own 'benefit'."

"Then what changed your mind?" Nick wondered.

"Vivian, who else?" Catherine smirked. "Her thinking was that he might be ugly, or in some way crippled and not able to perform in a regular relationship, and wanted to see a real one for himself for a sort of vicarious release. I thought she was crazy, but we decided to give him a try."

"So that was Avery?" Nick asked. "I caught a glimpse of him, and he didn't seem crippled or disabled in any way, to me."

"Not outwardly," Catherine sighed. "He's definitely got some issues, though. Maybe a whole subscription. Oh, and that's why you don't get to talk to him unless I say so. I don't want you doing any damage to that poor fox."

"I definitely respect that, but I don't know, I've had some troubles in my life too, maybe I could relate to him?" Nick shrugged.

"Oh, really?" Catherine put her hands on her hips and tilted her head. "Let's see, have you had a parent die to a gruesome tragedy?"

"Yup," Nick frowned.

"O-oh," Catherine's eyebrows betrayed sudden sadness. "How about emotional problems that stifled your ability to make friends in school?"

"Oh yeah," Nick nodded.

"H-huh," Catherine was getting desperate, "surely though you weren't a test-tube kit."

"What!?" Nick looked blindsided. "What does that even mean?"

"Ha, gotcha," Catherine grinned, "maybe I will let you ask him about it, if this _light_ ever _changes_ so we can GET ON WITH OUR LIVES!"

Nick laughed quite loudly. "We've actually been talking through two cycles of it."

"We have?" Catherine looked a bit embarrassed. "Oh, jeez. I guess I haven't really had a chance to talk to much of anyone about things like this, so I got wrapped up in it."

"Do you like it, though, talking about it?" Nick wondered. "Cause if not, I won't waste your time."

"No, it's good," Catherine shrugged her shoulders as they went through the crosswalk. "Nice to not get spat in your face over it, that's for sure."

"I know that feeling all too well," Nick nodded. "I'm married to a bunny."

"What? No way..." Catherine's mouth opened in amazement. "That's crazy! And here I took you for just some run of the mill snarky fox."

"That's only _most_ of me," Nick admitted.

"Tell me how you met!" Catherine seemed to get a bounce in her step. "I can't even imagine how a fox and a _bunny_ get together."

"It's a _very_ long story, and we appear to be at the subway right now, so maybe I'll save that for a later date," Nick folded his arms.

"What? You tease," Catherine's smile vanished. "I guess that means I'll be having to see more of you, then. Your bunny, too?"

"I actually haven't told her about all this yet," Nick shrugged. "Don't know how she'll react."

"Story of my life," Catherine rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I'll tell Avery you might show up. I'll have Vivian text you where you can find him. And if you hurt his feelings, I'm going to be coming after you with the heaviest book I can lift."

"Aye-aye, ma'am," Nick saluted, and parted ways with her.

* * *

-The Wilde-Hopps' Aardvark Rise Apartment-

"I'm heading out," Nick said tersely, making his way for the front door.

"Where to?" Judy smiled, putting the last of the dishes away.

"The park," Nick replied. "Just figured I'd get some of that nice fresh evening air."

"Ooh, that sounds nice!" Judy said. "I'll come along as well!"

"And me!" Larry added. "The park's my favorite hangout."

"I think I'd like to be alone this evening," Nick groaned with a bit of guilt tugging at him. "Got a bit of a headache."

"Oh, okay," Judy's smile vanished. "I mean, I can be quiet, if that's what you need..."

Nick sighed softly. Judy's somewhat sad expression was causing him immense distress; it looked like Nick didn't want to hang out with them, which was far from the truth. He headed over and hugged Judy, which softened her face.

"Okay, let me confess," Nick said, trying to choose his words carefully. "I'm going to meet a fellow fox. And he's sort of skittish; I don't know how he would react to seeing my wife and son. I just want to talk to him for a few minutes, all right?" Nick mentally reviewed the words, and all of them were somewhat true, so he felt at least a little bit better.

"Oh, sure," Judy smiled gently. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?"

"Because saying 'hey beautiful wife and awesome son, I want to ditch you tonight for someone I barely know' doesn't roll off the tongue as well," Nick flashed a grin. Judy giggled and leaned her head up to kiss him. Larry gave a small grin at hearing and seeing this.

"Fair enough!" Judy said flippantly. "But if you come back after I'm asleep, good luck getting into the bed without waking me and getting me angry!"

"In that case I guess it would be the couch for me," Nick chuckled.

"Have fun, dad," Larry shrugged his shoulders, taking out his phone.

"Say hey to Kara for me," Nick clicked his teeth.

"Hey to Kara for me," Larry wryly shot back.

Nick gave a proud groan. "Ah, he'll make a fine father some day." Judy put a paw to her mouth with a large grin.

Larry froze and his ears warmed up. "Dad, please!"

* * *

-Southern Mezzo Park-

Nick felt as though he dodged a stun gun charge with how things went in his home. He was glad he only had to get through this night, and then the hard part would come.

"How do I break it to Judy about all this?" Nick wondered. He had no clue what she'd think of Vivian being polyamorous. The sun would be setting soon, and Nick again saw the dark gray fox setting up his artist's easel and chair near the water. Nick took in more of his features. Avery had primarily gray fur of a slightly darker color than Catherine's. His ears, arms, and legs were solid black, as well as the masking around his muzzle. His tail was black with a white tip. Avery's eyes were hazel, bordering on vivid yellow. Nick found him incredibly striking-looking and attractive, though he hadn't ever thought of himself as being attracted to males.

Remembering both Vivian and Catherine's warnings to him, Nick carefully approached him, making sure he was fully visible to him before he got closer.

"Hello there, I'm Nick," he greeted.

"Ah, hi, I'm Avery Pawsfeld," Nick was expecting a rather deep or strong voice to come out of such a striking looking mammal, but Avery's voice was quite soft and gentle. "The girls told me about you. You're a police officer?"

"That's right," Nick nodded. "But you're not in trouble; I'm not here to interrogate you. Just wanted to know a bit more about you."

Avery visibly swallowed. "All right. I guess we can start with a question. What kind of fox am I?" Nick looked him over once more, but shook his head.

"I have to admit I've never seen a fox that looked like you in my life," Nick said apologetically.

"I'm a _vulpes vulpes_ ," Avery said calmly.

"A red fox?" Nick blinked. "But you're..."

"Yup, don't have a spot of red on me," Avery nodded. "I'm a melanistic color morph. They call me a silver fox, though I don't really know how many more like me there are."

"Ah," Nick said carefully, "Catherine had said something about how you were born, and I'm not sure I understood."

"I was a designer kit," Avery had a small frown. "Genetics were manipulated to favor the morph, then I was placed back in my mother. Parent's were filthy rich and couldn't do with just having a 'regular' kit. They wanted something 'special'."

"You don't sound too happy about that," Nick noted.

"Well, what do you think about it?" Avery glared at him with his piercing yellowish eyes.

"To be honest, I didn't even know such things were done," Nick shrugged. "That sounds like science fiction to me."

"It might as well be," Avery said darkly. "Or else, it should be. On the surface, it's supposed to be about diversification of the gene pool, experimentation. Maybe we morphs will have some desirable traits to help medical science? But to me it's just a front to make designer kits. There's an even more expensive 'model' than me. Marble."

"Eh, Avery, I'm pretty sure I'm making you uncomfortable by talking about this," Nick said with his hands in his pockets. "I should go."

"No, don't," Avery held out a paw. "It's all right. I haven't got to talk about this for so long."

"Guessing it was hard growing up," Nick said gently. "Not only as a fox, but a different-looking fox."

"I'd always ask my parents why I looked different," Avery shook his head. "They just told me I was 'made that way'. Took me until I was a teenager to find out how true that was."

"That must have been difficult," Nick said. "Wow, what a cliche line! I'd probably suck as a therapist."

"Therapists didn't help me too much either," Avery sighed. "They couldn't answer any of my tough questions like, 'do I have a soul'? I had wondered if the unnatural alteration of me had damaged me in some way, on a metaphysical level. I went through a pretty angsty teenage period. Sometimes I wondered what waited for me in the beyond, and if I should just take a shortcut to get there." Nick fidgeted in discomfort. "Then, I had barely turned twenty, and the canine virus hit. It took my mother."

"Ugh, I'm so sorry..." Nick drew closer, but stopped short of touching his shoulder, not knowing how he'd react.

"At first I thought it was some sort of cruel irony," Avery said bitterly, "she had used genetics to get the son she wanted, and a genetically-enhanced virus had claimed her life. But then I realized how selfish and hateful I was being. I felt fear, and I knew I wanted to survive. Like some miracle, an inoculation against the virus was just starting to be distributed, and I rushed to get it. I wanted to live."

"I'm sorry I was too late for your mother," Nick said sadly, dropping to his haunches near Avery's seated form, then flinched when Avery gave him a terrified glance. "I mean, 'it' was too late for her."

"You were the fox that survived? You offered yourself to be experimented on to save all of the rest of us!?" Avery looked completely stunned.

"I'm not really a hero in that respect, Avery," Nick shook his head. "All I had to do was lay there and suffer for awhile. The doctors are the real heroes."

"I... don't know what to say to that," Avery admitted.

"Let's just continue with the story," Nick shook his head. "I don't want this to be about me."

"My father moved away, and left me," Avery said. "He felt ashamed. He too felt like the universe was punishing him for playing with his family as if he were a deity. He took his millions with him and I haven't heard from him since."

"How did you make ends meet before you met the girls?" Nick wondered.

"Eh, I'm not proud of it," Avery looked off to the side. "I used my body."

"W-what?" Nick tried not to sound alarmed.

"Ah, as a model," Avery let loose a soft chuckle. "I have no pride in what I am, but of course the modelling industry is always looking for striking and unusual animals, and I'm one."

"So you didn't like doing it?" Nick wondered.

"Hated it," Avery chuckled again. "But, I did it because it was easy. It takes no talent or skill to stand there and look pouty with your hands in your pockets, to model jeans, for instance. It paid well. It didn't make me feel any better about myself, though."

"Not like painting," Nick noticed, looking over his art. "I notice you're giving the sunset sort of a... pearlescent look? Interesting stylistic choice."

"Yeah, painting is my true passion; I'm still feeling out my style," Avery shrugged. "I don't know what to do with my art. I think I'd like for it to be in a museum, if I get good enough. But I certainly don't want it to be hanging in the offices of millionares who buy such things in bulk just to fill empty space in their offices."

"I get you there," Nick said. "So just one more thing, I think. What was with the ad you placed for the girls?"

"Oh, uh," Avery had a sheepish smile. "I put that out when my self-esteem was still pretty low. I wanted to see how a relationship could work. I... well, it sounds kind of dramatic, but I felt kind of like a sub-mammal at times. I didn't think I deserved a relationship. I just wanted to see one, a real one."

"So, why two vixens, then?" Nick smirked, folding his arms.

"Well, you know," Avery started giggling nervously. "Vixens kissing looks kind of nice...?"

Nick stifled a laugh. "I'm guessing you didn't want anyone to see you before you got there because you're actually extremely handsome?"

"Yeah..." Avery admitted, then looked shocked when he realized how haughty that sounded. "Oh no! I mean... objectively, I do look a bit different and striking. I thought if they saw me I'd just get a bunch of girls who wanted to fawn over me and didn't really love each other."

"I bet the girls fawn over you anyway though, huh?" Nick grinned. "Vivian and Catherine, that is?"

"Oh, yeah," Avery smiled. "They're great. I love them, and I feel like they love me, too. I feel more complete because of them."

"Well, I think I've heard enough," Nick smiled, getting up. "I'm convinced you definitely have a soul, Avery." Avery blinked. "You love art, the expression of nature, and you love love itself. You have a lot more of a soul than some other mammals I've seen."

"Oh!" Avery looked a bit touched. "Well, uh, thanks?"

"Looks like the sunset's over," Nick had a tiny smile. "Sorry for taking up so much of your time."

"Eh, tomorrow is another day," Avery shrugged. "Good to meet you, Nick. We should hang out again sometime?" Avery started packing up his things and walking east.

"For sure! Goodbye, Avery," Nick waved, and headed north, looking at the sky beginning to darken. After Avery was out of sight, Nick saw an orange glow on the horizon. But that wasn't right, not at all. He was heading north. Nick's pace began to quicken.

The orange glow started getting brighter as he ran toward it. He was heading straight for Vivian's cart.

"Oh no," Nick breathed out in terror. "Oh God, NO!"

* * *

-Central Mezzo Park-

Just as Nick had feared, Vivian's cart was a small inferno, flames crackling about. A small semi-circle of firefighters was already at the scene, shooting water onto the blaze.

"Oh God, oh God..." Nick droned, trying to get closer. Jenny was there, and her ear twitched and she looked backwards.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to back up- Nick!?" Jenny looked surprised, though her arms held fast to her hose. "Nick, you can't be here!"

"Where's Vivian!?" Nick shouted, his voice hoarse with panic.

"Over way back there!" Jenny jerked her head south-east.

"Thanks!" Nick yelled out and headed toward the figure. Vivian was standing still, her fists balled tight, staring blankly at the fire. " _Vivian_! Vivian, are you okay?"

"I'm unharmed," Vivian said with an oddly calm voice. Nick doubled over, holding his hands over his face, giving anguished grunts of relief.

"The arsonist...?" Nick asked tersely.

"Yes," Vivian nodded. "I was closing up, and he said something hateful that I'd rather not repeat. Then he threw a bottle at me. I dodged it, but it landed in my cart and the whole thing started to go up."

"Thank God you weren't hurt... thank God..." Nick wailed. "This is all my fault..."

"Not entirely," Vivian said emptily. "But I'm not going to completely absolve you."

"Fair enough," Nick smiled weakly, getting out his phone. "Did you get a good look at the arsonist?"

"Looked a lot like me, bizarrely, if I was male," Vivian shrugged. "Little smaller, little younger. Missing his lower right incisor."

"Ooh, that's great!" Nick jotted this down on his phone. "Good stuff..."

"I kind of snapped after he missed the bottle," Vivian admitted. "Just waiting for the cops to get here."

"Uh, present?" Nick grinned sheepishly.

"I mean, someone with some evidence bags," Vivian had a tiny smile, and held up her fists. "I lunged at him and grabbed a few tufts of his fur, but he got away."

"Oh wow, Vivian," Nick shook his head, "you're something else."

"Well I do have a couple of cops for friends," Vivian said warmly. Nick flinched as his phone vibrated. Judy had texted him.

[What's going on!? There's a fire in central Mezzo Park!? It's all over the news! Are you still down there!?]

[I'm fine, Vivian's fine.] Nick texted back.

[I'll be right there!]

Judy and a few other on-duty ZPD officers showed up before long. Vivian made her statement and turned over her evidence, Nick shared the things he jotted down with his fellow officers Pennington and Wolford, and Nick and Judy observed the smouldering husk that used to be a popular frozen-drink stand.

"Sweet fancy ketchup," Judy shook her head. "What happened here? Why did the arsonist attack Vivian, of all people? ...And... who was the fox that you met? You didn't meet the arsonist, did you?"

"I did not," Nick shook his head. Vivian walked over. "As to why Vivian was attacked? That one IS my fault."

Judy's jaw dropped in confusion and she turned her head over to Vivian. "That's not true, is it?"

"My cart was burned down because the arsonist must have overheard Nick and I getting into an argument about..." Vivian started pensively, "well, about the fact that I'm not in a 'standard' relationship."

"Oh," Judy looked with disapproval at Nick. "Being doing some digging, have you?"

"Do you know about it?" Nick wondered.

"No, but like I said, it's none of our-" Judy began, but Vivian held up her finger to cut her off.

"It's okay, Judy," Vivian said. "I'm polyamorous. I have a boyfriend and a girlfriend."

Judy's eyes widened. "Oh..." Nick and Vivian both watched to see how she'd react. Her eyes seemed to open even wider. "Oh!" Then, unexpectedly, she began to laugh. Nick and Vivian's eyes both widened at this. Judy's laughter grew louder. "Vivian!"

"Uh, didn't expect this reaction," Nick admitted. Vivian shrugged. "Honey bunny, have you lost your marbles?"

"Nick, right before we got together," Judy said haltingly as she tried to contain herself, wiping a tear from her eye, "Vivian actually gave me some advice that I never forgot."

"I did...?" Vivian didn't remember this.

"It was back when I was dating Jack Placid, that other rabbit," Judy grinned. "She said 'if you're in two relationships that aren't in conflict, what's the problem'?"

"I _did_...?" Vivian's eyes widened. "Jeez, that was careless of me; I almost gave it away right there."

"But," Judy giggled, "but _I_ took it to mean that you were trying to not-so-subtly tell me that Nick and I were actually in a relationship when I myself didn't think we were."

"So, us even being together is somewhat Vivian's fault," Nick realized. "Well, now I feel super great about getting your place burnt down. Maybe we can scrounge up some of that money we've saved from getting free drinks to buy you a new one."

Vivian shook her head. "The stand was insured. This arson is basically only an inconvenience and an insult. The only thing I'm worried about is rebuilding. I can get a better stand, fix some mistakes from the old design... and I really do love it here in Mezzo Park. But..."

Judy put her hand on Vivian's shoulder. "We'll get the guy. If not Nick or I, it'll be Francine, or someone else. We'll get him."

"I know you two know what it's like to be hated just because of who you share a bed with," Vivian sighed. "It's why I don't advertise it."

"But Avery and Catherine are such interesting foxes," Nick chuckled. "We should have all been friends; we should have all gotten together and hung out. We've missed a decade of that."

"Avery and Catherine, huh...?" Judy looked curious. "Hey, you ready to go home? Let's walk you home, Vivian."

"All right," Vivian nodded. "We can walk. It's on Meadow Street, not too far from here." The three walked along, their conversation light until they got up to her doorstep. "Thank you two. I have a great couple of cop friends, and a great couple of mates."

"Of course, Vivian," Judy smiled.

"In fact, would you like to come in for a few minutes?" Vivian beckoned. Nick and Judy both looked at each other, then nodded. "Great." Vivian opened her door, and called inside. "Avery! Catherine! There's a bunny that's way past due to meet you two!"

* * *

-Meadow Street, Vivian's House-

"And so, Nick was actually able to convince everyone that Finnick was his _son_ , to engender pity from his victims," Judy went on, gesturing emphatically. She was sharing a couch with Nick, who had his arm around her midsection, and opposite them, Vivian and Catherine surrounded Avery on another couch, with Vivian's arm around his shoulder and Catherine's around his midsection.

"What!? No!" Catherine lurched forward a bit, laughing, followed by smaller giggles from her mates. "Mammals are so _stupid_!"

"Well, um, I fell for it, to be honest," Judy meekly held up a finger, her eyes looking away.

"Hey, I'm not the type to back away from what I say," Catherine smirked. "You need a biology lesson if you think fennecs can come from red foxes."

"She's my dumb bunny," Nick confirmed, giving her a small jostle. There was more light laughter.

Avery's phone made a warning beep. "That's my news app..." Avery picked up his phone and Vivian flinched a bit, trying to take the phone away.

"Oh Avery, you don't have to read that now," she warned, but Avery kept it away from her.

"There was a fire in central Mezzo Park?" Avery's eyes widened. "No injuries, but a frozen fruit stand was burned down- Vivian!?"

"Vivian, what happened?" Catherine leaned over in concern.

"It was a hate crime, an arson," Vivian shook her head, "I'm fine, as you can see."

"You guys better catch that waste of fur," Catherine narrowed her eyes. "But how did the arsonist even know you were unusual? We're very good about hiding it."

"My fault," Nick admitted. "I got into an argument with her because I didn't understand the parameters of your relationship. I guess it was overheard."

"You...!?" Anger flashed over Catherine's face.

"Shh, calm down, Cat-Kat," Avery looked at her tenderly. "We have our Vivian, and everything's okay. She had it insured, right? Everything's okay." Catherine grumbled, but started to defuse. Vivian gave an approving smile at this.

"Do you _ever_ go out as all three of you?" Judy wondered.

"Yup, and I get confused for their daughter all the time," Catherine smirked. "Dumb mammals. Obviously, a red fox plus a silver fox equals a gray fox, since I have colors from all three of them. I mean, it's just _math_ , right!?"

"I guess mammals can be pretty stupid, although don't you think a kit from those two _would_ look a bit like you?" Judy asked.

"No, that's not really how it works," Avery shook his head. "Just because I'm melanistic doesn't mean my kits would be. ...So hey, how did you two get together? There's got to be a story there."

"Oh is there ever a story..." Nick sucked his teeth, rolling his eyes.

"We'd be here all night!" Judy agreed.

"Oh, no you don't!" Catherine stood up on the couch, gesturing grandiosely. "You're not going to deprive me of this story a second time, fox. Catherine demands your TALE!"

"Sit down, silly," Vivian giggled.

"Well, I _guess_ Larry is old enough to tuck himself in," Judy grinned, looking at Nick.

"Seventeen? I should hope so!" Nick jostled her again.

"Ooh, who's Larry?" Avery looked at Vivian.

"They'll get there," Vivian smirked.

Judy gave a heavy sigh. "Okay, here we go. When I was nine..."


	26. Partners' Goodbye

-Mary Anne Wilde's Rainforest District Home-

"How is she, Barbara?" Nick Wilde-Hopps asked softly as a slim, female cheetah shut the door to Mary Wilde's room.

"She's fine, she's asleep," the cheetah said gently. "The pain medication seems to be working for her."

Nick crossed one arm in front of his chest, and balanced his other elbow on it, placing his head in his paw. "Thank God. I knew this would eventually happen. So many times I tried to have this conversation with her. 'Mom, we gotta get you someone. Mom, you're almost eighty, maybe it's time to think about assisted living.' She'd never hear of it. Maybe I should have been more aggressive."

"She's still got all of her mental faculties, Nick," Barbara gave a soft smile. "I don't think she would have appreciated you cutting her last years of autonomy short."

"So instead, she fell, and severely injured both of her legs," Nick grumbled. "Pride's probably the only flaw my mother has."

"Well, just remember that for when you make it to this age," Barbara had a teasing grin, her fiery-brown eyes twinkling. "And see if you're not shaking your cane at your little squirrel if he tries to put you in a home."

Nick gave a long sigh. "Anyway, thank you, for all this. You know I wouldn't let just anyone be my mother's nanny. And you came highly recommended, after all."

"What, by my big brother?" Barbara giggled. "We Clawhausers just like to play each other up."

"Well, I'd trust Benjamin way before any internet listings," Nick explained. "You and Ben are so nice, and you're both in such self-sacrificing jobs. What made you want to become a nanny, anyway?"

"Well, I guess it's like you say," Barbara looked off to the side. "You know the Clawhausers are kind of emotional cats. When Benji and I had to put our mother in a home, we visited her often, of course, but the staff there was so impersonal. My mother was getting to be a bit senile, but she reacted with almost relief whenever Benji or I came over. She needed love; we all do. I think she... might have lasted longer if she got more personal care and attention."

"Ugh..." Nick shook his head. "So what then, you wanted to fight against that, I suppose?"

"Uh huh, I'm sure it sounds a bit naive," Barbara gave a cautious smile. "But I wanted to be a nanny so I could show our elders that we still care, you know? That and taking care of someone in their house is so much better, don't you think?"

"I do, and I'm glad I could get you for my mom," Nick nodded. "I hope... I hope we'll need you for quite awhile."

"Oh, so do I, Nick," Barbara surprised him by rushing over and hugging him. "Your mother is such a big sweetheart." Nick chuckled as she let go.

"Well, see you next week, then," Nick waved, "and every week after."

"You're such a dutiful son," Barbara had a wobbly smile, and waved.

"Try to be," Nick nodded, heading off.

* * *

-The Wilde-Hopps' Aardvark Rise Apartment-

Nick and Judy were relaxing on the couch the day before they had to go back into work. Nick seemed a bit quiet, and he wrapped his arm around Judy and drew her in closer. Judy snuggled in, sensing his need for her contact. Nick kissed both of her ears.

"Mom's okay, right?" Judy wondered softly. Nick nodded. Judy looked away, trying to think of something to lighten the mood. "So hey, do you think you'll have a midlife crisis THIS year or will it wait until you're exactly fifty?"

"Judy, please," Nick chuckled gently. "What am I going to buy? A car? A house?"

"I could see you in a red convertible," Judy said mischievously. "But hm, I guess I never thought about a house. Houses in Zootopia are so expensive."

"Yeah, and Aardvark Rise is just so close to everything we need, and we have some nice neighbors, too," Nick sighed. "I was thinking, maybe we could do something with mom's house, once she doesn't need it anymore."

"Nick, no..." Judy said with a gentle, warm voice. "Don't go back to that darkness, look at me." Judy adjusted his face to stare at her. "Look at your bunny. She's happy, and you're happy."

"What, are you trying to hypnotize me?" Nick smirked.

"Come back to me, fox," Judy said in a silly, wavering voice. "Kiss your bunny."

"Fine," Nick relented, giving her a tender kiss. The two slightly flinched as the door to their apartment opened swiftly and a chinchilla walked in.

"Hold your applause!" The chinchilla looked quite exuberant. "Chet 'the Chilla' Chilla has arrived. Thank you."

"Chet, the heck are you doing here?" Judy giggled. "Did I really leave that door unlocked? Come to hang out with Larry?"

"That's right, Mrs. Wilde-Hopps," Chet nodded. "Mr. WH said it'd be okay. The Larester has a bit of the blues, so as brody to brody, I'm gonna try to cheer him up."

"Huh, he's sad?" Judy looked concerned, looking up at Nick. "What about? High school is over in just a couple of weeks for him!"

"Yeah, and why would he be sad about that?" Nick wondered. "Oh, maybe because all of his best friends are going separate ways, especially Chet and Kara?"

"Oh, that'd be a good reason," Judy said quietly.

"But you're staying in Zootopia, right Chet?" Nick nodded over towards the gray chinchilla.

"Yup," Chet nodded. "Gonna be going to college at the good ol' ZU. They'll make a teacher out of me! Or at least I hope so! Want to be an Mammalian Teacher, really. Language arts are my fave."

"I just, that is so interesting to me," Judy chuckled. "I'd never take you for a teaching type."

"Hey, Mrs. Bunny," Chet shook his head. "Someone has to teach the next gen of the kitterinos to be as awesome as I am, okay? I'm probably the world's only hope for that." Judy slumped her head a little bit and gave him a very dry look. "Right, so Larry's in his room, yeah?"

"Yup," Nick nodded. "Give him a hug for me, okay?"

"Really?" Chet narrowed an eye. "Well, if I gotta." Chet headed to Larry's door and opened it. "Aright, brody, we gotta hug it out. But no messing up the chilla fluff, deal?"

"Shut the door, you doofus," Larry's flat voice came from his room, and the door shut.

"So Chet's still going to be... around," Judy smirked. "I'm guessing he's in such a funk because of... Kara?"

"None other," Nick sighed. "She's going up northwest, studying to be a chemist, I think, at a prestigious university, and she'll be farther away than Bunnyburrow is."

"Ouch..." Judy winced. "I always wondered if we should have had a talk with him about Kara. How unlikely it was that he'd stay with his first love... especially from such a young age."

"Yeah, I just don't think I had the guts to broach that subject with him," Nick shrugged. "Being with your first love from middle school, while being a predator and prey, and a long distance relationship to boot. To get a win on all of those slots would be like hitting the jackpot."

"Poor kit," Judy frowned.

"Um, hello?" A familiar voice called to them from the hallway. "Your door is open, yes?" The voice belonged to their next-door neighbor Jiji, a leopard gecko, and one of the few reptiles in Zootopia.

"Oops, so it is," Nick chuckled. "C'mon in, Jiji." Jiji pattered her feet on in. "So, what's it like being a citizen of Zootopia?"

"Ah, you remembered I was trying for that?" Jiji smiled warmly. "It is very delightful. The Zootopia is definitely where I have made my home, so I very much wanted to belong to it, yes?"

"You probably know more about Zootopia than we do at this point," Judy gave a wry smile. "Those citizenship tests are brutal, I've heard."

"It was a challenge, but I accepted this challenge," Jiji gave a proud smile with her eyes closed, clasping her hands together. "I am grateful to Larry for getting me my start with reading mammalian, yes? He is graduating very soon, I remember!"

"Mm, yes," Nick gave a wry smile. "He's just going through some stuff right now. His girlfriend will be leaving soon after she graduates to get ready for college."

"Oh no, he must be very distressed," Jiji gasped, her smile fading. "Please, let me know if there is anything I can do for him, yes? Larry is such a precious creature to me."

"I agree," Judy nodded. "So we will. Now how about you, Jiji? You still haven't found your break so you can go back to being a masseuse?"

"Unfortunately not," Jiji had an apologetic grin, "I may have been, what is the word, naive when I thought there was a market for reptile fingers in Zootopia."

"Just don't lose hope, Jiji," Nick said to her, shaking his head. "You never know when your dream might come true, or something might come up that changes your life drastically for the better. I know I didn't." Nick pointed his finger accusingly at Judy. "This one right here. She did it to me."

"Oh, you," Judy laughed affectionately and swiped her paw at the pointing hand.

"Please, I do not mean to imply that I am not happy, yes?" Jiji laughed lightly. "My job as a waitress has been very stable, and my neighbors are very lovable, so I am still a happy reptile!"

"Guess you'll have to put off your midlife crisis for a few more years, if only for Jiji's sake," Judy said with a rumbly, affectionate voice, kissing Nick's nose.

"Sure will, bunkin," Nick nuzzled her.

Jiji tilted her head at their sweet gestures, but looked a small bit concerned. "I hope there are not too many crises?"

"Oh, that's just an idiom, Jiji," Nick chuckled. "I think I need to buy you a book of 'em."

"Ah, I will read every page, yes?" Jiji pumped one of her arms enthusiastically, and Judy giggled in delight.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, Briefing Room-

"Good news," Chief Bogo's commanding voice addressed the bullpen. "The primary suspect in the CRT Killer case was found, and taken out." The water buffalo shut his eyes as he waited for the cheers to die down. "You may notice Officer Delgato is missing. He was injured on the case, and he's on paid leave until the case is reviewed by the ZIA."

"The ZIA!?" Officer Fangmeyer piped up indignantly. "Delgato was only acting in self-defense! Holideer almost killed him while I was pinned to the ground! He saved _both_ of our lives!"

"I am _aware_ of your report, Fangmeyer!" Chief Bogo snarled. "Shut your muzzle. We must follow proper procedure." Chief Bogo nodded to the side. "Now, we have a representative of the ZIA here now. Her name is Agent Sonaire. You will be sure to answer her questions as accurately as possible, or it will be your hides. Because of this, everyone will be on desk duty today until any situations arise. If Agent Sonaire clears you, you are to begin traffic rounds or any continuing assignments. If there are any objections, please know that I don't care. Dismissed."

"Agent Sonaire...?" Nick blinked. "You don't think that's Viridia?"

"Guess we'll find out soon enough!" Judy gave a small smile.

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters-

It didn't take long before a fruit bat, only slightly shorter than Nick, approached Nick's desk while he was doing some case file work. Judy approached as well. The fruit bat was wearing a smart-looking suit, but no tie, as the top button had to be unbuttoned to accomodate her large copper fur collar. Judy marveled at her wings, and how they appeared to vanish into her clothes at her sides. She still had no idea how the bat got into her clothes in the morning.

"Officers Wilde-Hopps," Viridia Sonaire grinned, tilting her sunglasses down to show her green eyes briefly. "Long time no see!"

"You're with the ZIA now?" Nick looked impressed. "What's the matter, the ZPD not good enough for you?"

"I think someone thought I was too good for the ZPD," Viridia gave a small smirk. "I kept going through partners like a bunny goes through tissues at a sad movie."

"Uh, excuse me," Judy gave a smirk at her audacity. "And, going through them? I hope the officers are okay."

"Yeah they're fine, Chief Director just didn't like how others slowed me down, and she didn't like me working alone," Viridia shrugged. "So, they bumped me up to another department. Now I get to do some dangerous cases that I obviously can't tell you about, or investigate other departments, which is a _lot_ less fun." Viridia looked through her files. "Anyway, speaking of, let's see, the Wilde-Hopps... huh? This can't be right. My records show you two barely had anything to do with this case."

"Uh, that's right," Nick nodded.

"We just helped with placing the beacons that Lead Technical Officer Skippel came up with," Judy explained.

"Huh," Viridia looked surprised, even from behind her glasses. "I would have figured that as impressive as the list of cases you two have built up that you'd be all over this. Battling corrupt politicians, chasing murderers, dealing with psychotic mad scientists, tracking down a huge mammal who threatened one of yours, dealing with _me_." Nick chuckled at that one. "And there's a bunch of other stuff on here, some of it I can't quite... believe..." Viridia tilted her glasses down and made a face at some of the text. "But you sat this one out, basically?"

"Well, uh, it's not nice to steal all of the ZPD's thunder!" Nick chuckled. "We are only a fox and a bunny, after all."

"Yeah, I'm not buying that," Viridia put her hands on her hips.

"We're not as young as we used to be, obviously," Judy frowned a bit. "And we just weren't asked to do very much on this case. That's all. To be honest, I wasn't going to stick my neck out to try to get extra work on a case involving a serial killer." Judy gave a wince as she was aware how unlike her this sounded.

"Would have been a nice feather in your cap," Viridia smirked.

"Well, just a year ago we barely missed taking down an arsonist, too," Nick gave a small groan. Viridia looked at her files.

"That was who, Samuel Burgundy?" Viridia gave an amused huff. "Says here that Francine Pennington caught him in a room with only one exit and just sat in front of it while Officer Wolford bagged him."

"Just luck of the draw, I guess," Nick shrugged. "We can't be the heroes all the time."

"If it's not too secret," Judy looked up at Viridia, "can you tell me what this investigation is even about? Like, why is this case being audited?"

"It's just a formality, really," Viridia sighed. "The mayor, Vince Mousawitz, has been under incredible pressure from the traditionalist prey every time there's a case of predator-on-prey violence in any government establishment."

" _We're_ being investigated because Officer Delgato had to use lethal force to defend himself and Fangmeyer, just because Rocky Holideer was a prey?" Nick asked incredulously.

"Yup," Viridia said in a clearly displeased voice. "Had Delgato offed a tiger or a fox or something, I doubt I'd even be here."

"Wonderful," Judy shook her head. "Sometimes it's really embarrassing to be a prey, when we make _ourselves_ look like scared, meek idiots."

"Ugh, tell me about it," Viridia grumbled, and Nick was pretty sure he could see her rolling her eyes, even through the glasses.

"Wait, you're a prey...?" Judy blinked. "You basically just look like a fox with wings. And a chest ruffle thing..."

"Uh, hello?" Viridia chuckled. "You think we're called 'fruit' bats for nothing? It's all I eat."

"I still remember you flying directly at me," Nick shook his head. "That was terrifying. I remember exactly what it felt like when you slashed me with those claws."

"Which is why such broad distinctions between us are nearly meaningless to me," Viridia shook her head. "I'm just doing my job. I mean heck, Chief Bogo is technically a prey, but he could punch a lion through a wall if he felt like it!"

"I think he _has_ , before!" Judy chuckled, and Viridia looked suspicious. "Oh, the lion was a criminal, of course."

"And how is an _otter_ a predator?" Viridia held her arms out to the side. "They eat _clams_. Those things fight back just about as much as coconuts do. Heck, I think coconuts might even be more dangerous!"

"Well, I think they can eat fish, too, but I see your point," Judy giggled.

"Anyway, you two are clear, and while I'd love to catch up more, I do have a job to do," Viridia nodded. Nick saluted at her.

"See you, Agent Sonaire," Nick grinned. "Congrats on your new job."

"Hey, I don't know how lucky I consider myself," Viridia shot over her shoulder as she left them. "Now I have to deal with that annoying day-fireball in the sky much more often than I'd like."

* * *

-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, Break Room-

Judy stopped by the break room to get a couple of coffees before she and Nick headed out onto the streets. There, she saw Karen Skippel who was also making herself a cup.

"Hi, Karen," Judy greeted her. "Has Agent Viridia gotten to you yet?"

"No, and I'm a little nervous," Karen admitted, stirring extra sugar into her drink. "If I screw up during her questions, it could be a problem."

"Screw up? You were instrumental in tracking the CRT killer!" Judy tilted her head. "You came up with those little tracking devices that we put on CRT TVs in junkyards, pawn shops, and anywhere else we could find them, and eventually that let Delgato and Fangmeyer right to him. Just tell her what happened."

"I suppose so," Karen nodded. "All I did was the behind the scenes work though. Delgato put his life on the line."

"Still, without the tackita-tackita-tackita, he never would have been caught," Judy said, mimicking typing motions in midair.

"Yes, because furiously typing on a keyboard is how you do computer things," Karen half-lid her eyes and had a wry smile. "That's only in the movies, Judy. Oh, speaking of which, filming is wrapping up on Infection: K9. Crystal would like you and Nick to be at the premiere, if at all possible."

"So we can relive those horrible moments again?" Judy asked wryly.

"C'mon, please?" Karen pursued. "It'd mean a lot to her, and by extension, me. You know Mousiewood films end up butchering 'based on a true story' stories to the point where they're no longer recognizable."

"I'm actually kind of scared to think of how much extra violence they could put into it!" Judy gave a nervous giggle. "But no, we'll be there as long as we get our invitations."

Karen remained in the break room as Judy began to make the coffees for herself and Nick. "Speaking of scared... is it wrong to be glad that Holideer is dead?"

"Um, I don't know if I can answer that properly," Judy gave an apologetic wince.

"The fact that he left CRT TVs on tuned to static whenever he killed someone..." Karen shivered. "Just so creepy..."

"It was unusual, yeah," Judy admitted. "However, I don't think the motivations of a murderer are something we should delve too deeply into."

"W-well, you know how I like to over-analyze things," Karen cringed. "I read some of his manifesto that Fangmeyer found... and I think I could see where he got his ideas from." Judy gave her a concerned look. "You know what static on CRTs is?" Judy shook her head. "It's cosmic background noise. It's like you're being screamed at from outer space itself. I started to have nightmares about static after the case began. Holideer called it the 'song of the cosmos', and that everyone should be made to hear it when they left the Earth."

"S-so he was a mad deer," Judy shook her head. "Don't let it consume you; he's gone now."

"Yeah," Karen nodded. "Delgato said the only reason he went for the kill was because Holideer was reaching into his pocket when he had him pinned. He thought he was going for a weapon but... it was a remote. He turned all of the TVs in his lair on at once as Delgato killed him. Fangmeyer said the two were almost deafened." Karen gave a heavy sigh. "I don't know how any of you can deal with that sort of intensity. Sometimes I worry about what would have happened to ME if my dad didn't convince me to use my computer skills for the good of us mammals."

"Karen...!" Judy looked very upset. "You're no criminal!"

"No but..." Karen looked away. "Serial killers, they're very methodical in how they do things. And so, so am I... I wonder just what it takes to snap someone like that? Just a gimmick? A bad experience?" Judy set down her coffees and hugged Karen, which surprised the arctic hare.

"Karen, you know better to make a logical fallacy like that," Judy hugged tight. "You're not a bad bunny. You're an unsung hero of this department. I know things can scare you sometimes, but let us be your shields, okay? And get some extra hugs from Crystal for me, all right?"

"Okay, Judy," Karen nodded, returning the hug with her free arm. "I... I promise."

* * *

-The Streets of Savanna Central-

Nick was driving the police cruiser down the streets. This one was the same model as their last one, but Judy had gotten that one pretty badly dinged up in a high-speed chase and thus tended to let Nick drive more often. Nick noticed Judy was being a bit quiet that morning, but he let her be, knowing she would speak when she was ready.

"Nick..." Judy finally began while they were at a red light. "Do you think I'm becoming a coward?"

"Well, you're letting me drive, so I can't say so," Nick grinned. "You know you've put in _way_ more hours of driving than I have. I'm surprised you're letting me put your life in my paws, honestly."

"Oh, ha ha," Judy sipped her coffee. "You know the only reason we have a new cruiser is because of my recklessness."

"You're not a coward," Nick said firmly. "If anything, you've become more responsible and less reckless lately." Judy sighed. "I never used to see you get that thousand-yard-stare that you get all the time now after something terrifying happens. I know you're thinking about what could happen if your luck ran out. What'd happen to me, or Larry?"

"Uh, wow, if you could stay out of my head, that would be nice," Judy smirked dryly. "I like it by myself in there."

"Well first of all, you're easy to read, and second, we've been married for quite some time, and partners even longer than that," Nick grinned. "Just because you won't throw your little tail into danger at every opportunity doesn't mean you're not a brave bunny. I still respect you as much as I did by about midway through our very first case together."

"Nick, are you just trying to make me feel better?" Judy gave a gentle smile.

"Okay, how well do you know me, then, 'Carrots'?" Nick smirked, and Judy laughed at her old nickname. "What would happen to me if you or Larry suddenly vanished from my life?"

"I think you'd... break..." Judy said seriously. "I've thought about that a lot. I just don't know how you could deal with that."

"And you're absolutely right," Nick nodded. "I _don't_ know how I could deal with losing you or Larry. So yeah, I do thank you for not trying to get yourself killed."

"Sometimes I can't believe how careless I've been," Judy said distantly. "I think about how selfish my actions must seem. I'm over here trying to prove something about bunnies, but what would happen if I made even one big mistake? Boom. What would I care? I'd be in the great beyond and who knows what's out there? But you and Larry would be left behind, and I... well, I just thought I should make a change in the way I dealt with things."

"Oh, you think I'd be rid of you if you got yourself killed?" Nick grinned. "No, whether it was actually you or a delusion of my imagination, I have a feeling you'd haunt me as a ghost and nag me all the way to _my own_ grave."

"This topic of conversation is so delightful, isn't it?" Judy said warmly. "Can we talk about something else, like weather disasters, political corruption, anything?"

"Judy, I love you, and I love how you've grown as a person," Nick said.

"Oh! Well that's sudden," Judy smiled brightly, but then closed her eyes proudly. "Of course, I already _knew_ that. And you know I love you, too."

"I have known that, yes, I have known that for quite some time," Nick nodded. "Speaking of love, after our shift we should get to Mezzo Park."

"What for?" Judy tilted her head.

"Larry told me he was going to spend all day there to try to clear his head," Nick explained. "We should probably go be good parents and try to cheer him up, hm?"

"Sure," Judy rubbed her cheek. "I was hoping Chet would help him out."

"Chet would have only been a bandage, anyway," Nick shook his head. "He needs to talk to Kara, and I don't think he's ready to."

"Hey, how come Larry always tells YOU what he's going to do, and not me?" Judy narrowed her eyes in sudden realization.

"Because he knows he'd get at least half a dozen questions from you about where he was going, what he was doing, who he was meeting..." Nick smirked.

"Okay, okay," Judy grumbled. "Jeez, I've become such a mom."

"Snuck up on us, didn't it?" Nick chuckled.

"You were making 'dad jokes' well before we ever got Larry," Judy smirked accusingly. Nick laughed at this. "Speaking of, you're not... you're not worried about Larry and that he still wants to be in the Tiny Racing League, are you?"

"I'm a little bit worried," Nick nodded, "but I looked up the numbers and, compared to the bigger leagues, there are very few accidents and even fewer fatalities. It's more dangerous to be on the actual road than the TRL's tracks. Speaking of, did you know there's fewer fatalities on the ZPD, comparatively, than on the farms in Bunnyburrow?"

"Really?" Judy's eyes widened. "Wow, bunnies really _are_ dumb..."

"See how much I care about the safety of my family?" Nick chuckled. "I'm willing to look at _numbers_. And you know how much I hate those."

"It wouldn't kill you to do our taxes one of these years," Judy smirked.

"I'm not willing to take that risk," Nick shot back.

* * *

-Central Mezzo Park-

The noon sun was beginning to wear at Larry, burning through even his melancholy thoughts. He found himself subconsciously wandering towards Vivian Reddish's relatively new frozen drink stand. The last year, it had been burned down by an arsonist, and it was only rebuilt recently in the spring. Larry could see it in the distance, and walked towards it. He tried to lose his mopey expression, as he didn't want to try to pity the red fox into giving him a drink for free. The new stand had a slightly more inviting color scheme, was a little larger, and had more platforms for smaller animals like the gray squirrel to get to the counter, and an extra chute for delivering drinks to taller animals easily.

As he got closer, Larry noticed that Vivian was standing outside the cart, talking to two other foxes. They were a gray fox female, and a melanistic red fox, called a silver fox. Larry had heard of the two, but never met them; they both were Vivian's mates. Larry let that pass through his mind; he really couldn't imagine having more than one girlfriend. He couldn't much imagine loving anyone but Kara, but he tried to shove those thoughts aside before he felt sad again. The gray fox was the first to notice him, and she put her hands to her cheeks and gasped, making Larry flinch.

"Is that him, is that HIM?" She asked with a slightly manic tone to her voice, rapidly and lightly smacking Vivian on her tummy. "Oh my GOSH. It _is_ him, isn't it!?"

"Yep, that's Larry, Catherine," Vivian half-lid her eyes.

"I seem to have this affect on mammals, sometimes," Larry quipped, folding his arms as he approached the three.

"Oh NO!" Catherine gasped. "He's so _adult_! I cannot deal with this. Avery, hide me." Catherine walked behind the silver fox and tried to lose eye contact from Larry.

"Cat-Kat, you're being just a little ridiculous," Avery said. Larry's eyes narrowed; the silver fox's voice was so much lighter than he was expecting. Larry started to climb the platforms leading to the counter, skipping the stairs because he was a young, spry squirrel.

"What brings you to my stand, Larry?" Vivian smiled.

"I am _so_ thirsty," Larry admitted.

"Ah, let me get you something, then," Vivian grinned, getting into her cart. "I've got more flavors now, wanna try something new?"

"Fruit punch, I guess?" Larry looked at the menu. He chuckled at Catherine barely peeking at him from behind Avery. Catherine made a tiny squealing sound.

"Really, Cat," Vivian shook her head as she poured a frozen drink for Larry. "Do you squee at your squirrel guests at the library?"

"No way," Catherine shook her head. "When I'm in librarian mode, I'm a total lady. But just look at him!"

"He looks like a typical squirrel, to me, no offense," Avery gave a small smile. "You get your fluff in a ruffle when you get called cute just because you're small for a fox species."

"I know!" Catherine droned. "I'm such a hypocrite. That's why I need you to hide me."

"Here you go, Larry, no charge," Vivian pushed the drink at the squirrel.

"Oh! Thanks. Well, I _tried_ to not look pathetic and overheated," Larry shrugged, accepting her generosity.

"Just have to prove to my mates how altruistic I am," Vivian folded her arms across the counter and grinned. Larry started sipping his drink immediately.

"So you have two, huh?" Larry asked. "I guess I don't really get that."

"It's not something I can explain easily, Larry," Vivian admitted. "The heart wants what it wants."

"Yeah, I know that much..." Larry's voice sounded crestfallen, and his head drooped.

"Uh, are you having relationship troubles, Larry?" Avery wondered. Catherine gave a shrill gasp at this.

"My girlfriend's moving away," Larry nodded. "I hope it's just for as long as she needs for her college education, but... I don't know where she'll be after that. She wants to be a chemist."

"Oh, that's awful, you and Kara always look so happy together," Vivian's mouth twisted a bit. She looked at her mates. "It's his first love, and a pretty strong one, at that."

"Well what are you going to be doing with yourself, Larry?" Avery wondered.

"Ugh, I don't even want to say it," Larry's feet kicked as they dangled off the edge of the counter. "I want to join the TRL." Vivian and Avery shot confused looks at each other, but Catherine stepped forward.

"The Tiny Racing League?" Catherine asked. "What's wrong with that?"

"Oh, I don't know," Larry grit his teeth. "Maybe because Kara actually wants to do something constructive and meaningful with her life and I just want to screw around and drive cars."

"Larry, don't think like that," Catherine narrowed her eyes. "If it's your passion, you should go for it."

"If you tried to be in a job you hate, you'd regret it," Avery nodded, "I know I did."

"I'm in my dream job," Catherine nodded, "and it's not always sunshine and rainbows as a librarian, especially when you're small, but I do love it."

"But that's the thing," Larry looked off to the side. "All of you are doing something important. Mom and dad are cops. My best friend wants to be a school teacher. My girlfriend wants to be a chemist. Vivian gives drinks to thirsty animals in the park, and you're a librarian. You are all _doing_ something important. What I want is just... isn't it just selfish and frivolous?"

"I'm a painter, Larry," Avery said meekly. "I guess you could say what I love doing isn't 'important'. But I do love doing it, and I don't regret it."

Larry paused and let that sink in. "Huh."

"You're probably just extra upset because your path is diverging from Kara's," Vivian offered. "And I know this sounds cheesy, but if it's meant to be, I think it will be. Just live your life with hope that things will go better, right?"

"Uh huh," Larry gave a shuddering sigh, trying to keep himself under control. "Anyway, thanks for the drink. I think I need to be alone for a little bit."

"Of course," Vivian nodded. Larry's eyes widened a bit as, without thinking, Catherine picked him up from the counter and helped him to the ground. Larry gave her a quizzical look.

"Oh uh, that was wrong of me!" Catherine said. "I should ask if you wanted help down next time, and I should not fuss over you, and I should definitely not call you cute."

"I don't think you actually did that last one," Larry smirked wryly.

"I just figured as long as I'm doing bad things I should get one last one in there," Catherine grinned. "Remember that Vivian's always here for you if you need advice. She's great."

"Mm," Larry shrugged, and nodded.

"And try not to let all the squirrels in the TRL mob you when you win all those trophies and races!" Catherine added.

"Very funny," Larry half-lid his eyes.

"It could be a problem!" Vivian chuckled. "You're a handsome squirrel, after all."

"You know I only have eyes for a ferret, anyway," Larry said, starting to walk off.

"Kara is a _ferret_?" Catherine asked in sudden interest. "Wait, there has to be a story here. Tell me there's a story!"

"Have Vivian tell it to you," Larry waved, looking over his shoulder. "And maybe you should have your coffee 'de-Catherine-ated'."

Avery and Vivian put their paws over their mouths to stifle laughter as Larry walked off. Catherine looked at them both in confusion.

"Wait, was that funny?" Catherine narrowed one eye. "I'm not sure if that was funny. But I feel like I should be laughing so that Larry will like me more."

"Maybe you _should_ switch to 'de-Cath', Cat-Kat," Avery chuckled.

"Oh no, this is _not_ becoming a thing," Catherine smirked.

* * *

-Southern Mezzo Park-

Larry sighed as he found a trash can to climb up and pitch his empty cup in. He decided to head down to the largest body of water in Mezzo Park and just stare at it for awhile, hoping his disquieting thoughts would be consumed by watching the wind play on the water. He jumped a little when he felt his phone vibrate in his shorts.

[Can we please get together soon, cutie...?] It was Kara.

[Yeah, let's get together tomorrow.] Larry texted back.

[Okay! Please bring me my Larry, and not Mr. Grumpy Face, okay?]

Larry chuckled slightly. [I'll see if I can find Larry for you.]

[Oh so I AM texting Mr. Grumpy Face. Well I know he's easily defeated by my kisses...]

[I know you could locate me if you wanted, but please, let's just get together tomorrow, OK? I'll try to beat Mr. Grumpy Face up on my own.]

[I'll just roll over the kisses I'd give you today to tomorrow, then.]

[You're so good to me, Kara. Love you.]

[Love you too, Squirrely!]

Larry felt his stomach churn as he pocketed his phone. He knew he could get such texts and even Muzzletime from Kara whenever he wanted, wherever she was, but it wouldn't be the same as getting to go see her in the fur. He tried to push back his thoughts again and walked out towards the water to try to find a good spot near the water's edge. In doing so, he almost tripped on a tiny form he failed to see near the edge.

"Woah!" Larry exclaimed, barely catching his balance before he launched right off into the water. His tail flicked as he tried to stabilize himself, rotating his arms.

"Hey, watch where you're goin', squirrel!" The owner of the small form, a shrew, snapped at him. "This space is occupied!"

"Oh, sorry!" Larry blinked as he finally saw her. "I'm not used to seeing many mammals smaller than me."

"Shrews are almost as small as we come, so keep your eyes open, uh?" She glared at him in disapproval. Larry walked several steps away from her and sat down. The two both just watched the water for awhile. After a bit, curiosity bubbled up in the shrew. "So what are you doin' here, uh?"

"Oh, just moping," Larry rolled his eyes. "Got the high-school graduation blues."

"Oy, me too," the shrew chuckled. "What's ya name?"

"I'm Larry, how about you?"

"Judie."

"Really?" Larry chuckled. "My mom's named Judy."

"Small world, uh?" Judie laughed. "So what's eatin' you, then?"

"Eh, all of my friends are going their separate ways after graduation," Larry explained. "We got a potential chemist, a teacher, a financial advisor, a pro paw-ball player, and well, me, I want to be a race-car driver."

"Oh, no way, like the TRL?" Judee tilted her head as Larry confirmed with a nod. "I watch that junk all the time! I happen to know that a lot of sponsors are still lookin' for representation out there in the TRL. You hurry your tail and get your motor-racing license right out of high-school and you could be all set!"

"I'm kinda worried it'll be too easy like that," Larry frowned. "If everything falls into place for me, will I really appreciate my dream? I mean, even Heather, the paw-ball girl, she needs to play at the college level before going pro."

"Eh, quit your whinin'!" Judie flicked her wrist at him. "Least you all sound like you're doin' what you want! Carvin' out your own futures!"

"Is that why you're here?" Larry wondered.

"I got my future ALL planned out for me," Judie rolled her eyes. "Stuck in the family business. It's gonna be a cushy life, that's for sure. But I ain't sure about it, y'know? Like you said, it's probably gonna be too easy." She grew a somewhat malicious smirk. "Might have to test the waters and see if I can rock the boat a little."

"What's your family do, then?" Larry asked.

"I could tell you, but then I'd have to ICE ya," Judie gave a grin. Larry looked baffled at this. "Eh, just kiddin'. Anyway, I'll keep an eye out for you on the TRL. Might even bet on you, unless you end up with a sponsor for medical cream or something." She giggled.

"At least if I got a cruddy sponsor then I could work my way up," Larry chuckled.

"There you go," Judie laughed, standing up. "Well, you got me to smile, squirrel, so I guess I can let you live. I'll look you up again if you make it big on the tracks, huh?"

"Heh, I guess, see ya," Larry gave a small wave as the shrew headed out of sight.

* * *

-Eastern Mezzo park-

"There you are, champ," Nick smiled as he approached Larry, who was sitting on a rather low-hanging branch with his head resting against the tree trunk. "Do you have room up in that tree for two more?"

"Yeah, always," Larry said warmly, only a bit distant. Nick and Judy had both changed out of their uniforms before they came to the park. Judy gave a small grunt and leaped straight onto the branch, next to Larry after he scooted over a bit, whereas Nick climbed up the trunk carefully and sat next to Larry on that side.

"So," Judy placed her hands on her knees, rolling her eyes in a friendly way. "You must have had some time to be thinking about things. How can we make our squirrel boy feel better?"

"Are you guys..." Larry kept looking straight forward. "Are you guys proud of me?"

"Of course!" Nick exclaimed.

"Absolutely!" Judy said simultaneously. "Did you think we weren't?"

"I dunno, I just think you might have been disappointed because I wanted to keep with my original plan to be a racer," Larry looked down. "I wasn't even eight when I had that idea."

"I was only nine when I decided I wanted to become a police officer," Judy smiled warmly, patting him on the back. "And that turned out okay!"

"Being a racer," Larry's face scrunched up a bit, "it's not going to make the world any better. Not like you guys do."

"Hey, Larry, the world needs entertainers too, you know?" Nick shook his head. "Else it'd be a pretty boring place."

"Anyway, why we're proud of you doesn't have anything to do with what you want to become, but because of who you are," Judy smiled at him, kissing his forehead. "Personally, I'm so proud that I have such a kind son, someone I can make the world better FOR."

"Oh jeez mom, don't say something like that," Larry started to sniffle.

"And I'm proud that you're just as emotional as I am, but you can let it show much easier," Nick grinned. "Guys are generally taught to squelch their emotions these days, and I don't think it's that healthy for us."

"Well I thuh-think a crying squirrel wuh-would get more sympathy than a crying fuh-fox," Larry gave a few sobs, but then gasped and sighed.

"You might have me there," Nick chuckled.

"Still thinking about Kara a lot, sweetie?" Judy smiled gently.

"Yup..." Larry admitted. "She wants to hang out tomorrow."

"Okay, then... why don't Nick and I just plan to have a day out of the apartment and leave you two alone there?" Both Nick and Larry blinked, looking at her.

"Uh, are you sure about that, Judy?" Nick gave a nervous chuckle. "That sounds like a recipe for... well, it certainly sounds like a recipe, anyway."

"Y-yeah, mom," Larry tried to avoid both of their gaze. "I mean... uh, I really do find her attractive, so I uh... ...If we were alone...?"

"You're both eighteen," Judy laughed. "You need to start making your own mistakes. You can't be my perfectly behaved little angel forever."

"Nnn..." Larry narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth in discomfort, "not sure if I like how frank this conversation is getting!"

"I'm not going to tell you what you should or shouldn't do," Judy grinned. "But you're only going to get to be yourself around her if you're alone."

"Larry's still..." Nick frowned a bit. "Well, I don't know what I can say to that now that Judy's taken that side. I'd have figured you'd want to coddle him a bit longer. At least until he was twenty-four."

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm even old enough to say 'I love you' to her," Larry pondered. "I mean, I feel so strongly for her, but I am just like... kind of a kit still..."

"Hey, believe me, 'kit'," Nick chuckled. "Love and intelligence are completely foreign concepts from each other. If you feel like you love her, you do."

"But if I feel like she's 'the one' for me...?" Larry looked at Nick slowly.

"That... well, it's just your heart talking, Larry," Nick shrugged. "You just love her very strongly."

"So I _am_ dumb, then," Larry gave an amused huff.

"Only our dumb squirrel," Judy smiled affectionately.

* * *

-The Wilde-Hopps' Aardvark Rise Apartment, Larry's Room-

The honey-and-white colored ferret giggled softly as she entered Larry's room with him. "Somehow, I knew your room would be a mess."

"You think this is a mess?" Larry's eyes widened. Only a few things were out of place. "Wow, glad I kept you from coming over here yesterday."

Kara giggled again. "Oh, Larry. So uh... is it really okay for us to be here alone...?"

"Kara, we're adults now; we can make our own rules," Larry said, trying to sound confident.

"Uh, no," Kara adjusted her pink-rimmed glasses downwards with an accusing smirk, "that is not my Larry."

Larry groaned. "Would you believe my _mom_ said it was okay?"

" _That's_ my Larry!" Kara laughed, hugging him. Larry could always feel his pulse start to quicken when the soft ferret hugged him with her almost serpentine body. She was only three inches taller than him, but the composition of her body was so different, and how her tail was arranged. She seemed very exotic and cute to him. Larry gave her a kiss, which she eagerly reciprocated. "Mm, I've found finally you, Larry. You've been hiding from me for a couple of weeks now!"

"It's just..." Larry slipped out of the hug. "You know. I've been angsting about you leaving for awhile."

"Larry..." Kara frowned. "I don't want the memories of you I take to college to be like this. I leave many tomorrows from now."

"'Many tomorrows', really?" Larry chuckled.

"I'm trying to get at this... do you know what day it is?" Kara tried to hug him again, and Larry let himself be captured.

"The day today?" Larry looked for his calendar, but Kara adjusted his head to look back at her.

"That's exactly right, it's today," Kara smiled. "And it will always be today. It will never be tomorrow. So, until I'm leaving TODAY, you don't have to worry about me going away."

"I... okay?" Larry was quiet, sounding out the words with his lips to see if he bought what she was saying.

"Would you just kiss me, please?" Kara smirked.

"I can do that," Larry grinned, kissing her again. After a few kisses, Larry broke from her again. "Uh, I don't suppose you want to play some video games today, do you?"

"Larry!" Kara laughed, then smirked. "We can always play video games together online. Today, I'm here for some local multiplayer." She drew closer to him yet again.

"W-woah, that was such a nerdy come on," Larry's eyes grew wide.

"I know what you like," Kara grinned confidently, giving her body a bit of a wiggle for him. Larry nodded rapidly in agreement. "Larry... I would like to tell you something. You've done... well, you've done wonders for my self-esteem. I've sent at least a couple dozen pictures of myself to you at _your_ request..."

"Uh, that's because you're super hot...?" Larry gave a slightly shamed grin.

"I'm a geek, Larry," Kara chuckled. "A full-on science nerd. I'm no cheerleader. I used to have braces; you're the first person that made me feel like I was... attractive and desirable... you know?"

"B-but you are!" Larry blinked. "I'm serious! That's one of the reasons I'm so scared for you to leave. All of the science mustelid guys are gonna be all over you."

Kara giggled. "You really think so? You honestly think I'm _that_ good-looking that some weasel won't be able to keep his claws off me? I'm certainly not what you'd call 'traditionally attractive', even among ferrets."

Larry sat on his bed. "What, just because you have glasses? Or cause you have a 'geeky' personality? Because let me tell you, sometimes when I see you look at me from the side, just catching your gaze from behind the glasses, I want to..." Larry paused as Kara's grin grew larger. "I want to... uh... words!" Kara hopped onto the bed on all fours.

"Well, words can be fun," Kara gave a flirty giggle. "Hm, what kind of words do I like? How about..." Her voice dropped to a sensual register. "Serendipitous." She started to very slowly crawl towards Larry.

"Um, what?" Larry thought aloud. "That means 'lucky' right?"

"Cumulative..." Kara took another few paws forward, almost upon him.

"Er, I don't _like_ this, do I?" Larry blinked in a small bit of panic. "Do I like this!?"

Kara was basically right on top of Larry. "Consensual." Kara gave a proud smirk as she saw Larry's chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Okay, this definitely should _not_ be having such an effect on me," Larry's head was almost swimming. Kara placed both of her hands on Larry's wrists, holding them back.

"Well, you're a smart squirrel, aren't you?" Kara cocked her head. "How do you think you could get me to stop saying such words?" Larry didn't waste any time kissing her again. "Mm-hmm!" As they kissed, Kara moved her hands behind Larry and started to feel at his long, fluffy tail. "Mm, finally..." She said a few words between kisses. "You always get so... mm... skittish about me touching... this tail... mm..."

"Mm, it's embarrassing to have your tail touched... mm... in public," Larry explained. Kara pulled away from kissing him again.

"Well, seeing as we _aren't_ in public, your tail's mine today, little squirrel," Kara flashed her rather perfect, braces-fixed teeth, and Larry gave a small, nervous chuckle.

"Say Kara, um," Larry mumbled nervously as she began to look more and more amorous. "You're not... you didn't forget to take the Chill Pill or anything, did you?"

"I took it," Kara grinned, "I'm not in heat. You just get me hot..."

"Oh wow..." Larry's eyes flew open as Kara kissed at his neck. He made a soft, chittering sound.

"Ooh, I like that," Kara laughed. "I wonder how many more ways there are to make this squirrel chitter?" Larry gave a little gasp as he felt her claws go up his shirt.

"I can't promise you I'm going to be able to count if things keep going this way!" Larry panicked, and then chittered again when the claws just barely tickled at his sides.

"That's 'one'..." Kara said, very slowly drawing out the word.

" _Y-you're_ going to count?" Larry was nearly panting. "With that... that provocative enunciation!?"

"Now who's using the nerdy come ons?" Kara giggled. "I think I've converted you to our kind..." Her voice had a sensual waver to it. Her smile slowly faded a bit. "Larry, I'm not being too much for you, am I? You look like you're going to have a heart attack."

Larry tried to catch his breath. "Uh, to be honest, I do feel like I'm going to freak out at any time."

"Oh... okay, I can dial it back..." Kara gave an apologetic smile.

"No no!" Larry gave a short chuckle. "It's kind of... well it's kind of doing it for me." He looked away, his ears hot. "I'm still kind of a thrill seeker and all, so uh... I guess I kind of like panicking?"

"In that case," Kara started wearing her teasing face again. "Let's see how far we have to go to find 'two'..." Kara wiggled her claws.

* * *

-The Streets of Savanna Central-

Nick and Judy walked down the streets in their casual clothes. Nick kept peeking his head around corners and up and down streets.

"Are we going somewhere specific, or are you just trying to keep your mind off of what might be happening to our poor, 'innocent' squirrel?" Judy eyes half-lid.

"Shoosh, you," Nick put a finger to his muzzle. "I'm looking for something... supposed to be around here somewhere... oh, there! Okay, stand at the corner and look cute!" Nick fled into an alleyway.

"Nick! Did you seriously give me the slip?" Judy turned left and right, but then started to hear an obnoxious chiming music. "Ice cream truck...?" The music also, bizarrely, had a thick backbeat to it. One of Judy's eyebrows raised at the peculiar-looking ice cream van. There was something about it that was almost dreadfully familiar. The window opened and a fennec's ears popped out of the window. He was wearing a paper hat and apron.

"Whatchoo want-" he began, but froze when he saw Judy.

"I dunno, Finnick, what do you recommend?" Judy smirked, putting one hand on her hip.

"What the fuzz!?" Finick took off his sunglasses. "Judy? How'd you find me?"

"Take a 'Wilde' guess," Judy leaned forward.

"Nick!" Finnick growled. "That scuzzy sunnuva vixen!"

"Aw, are you THAT ashamed of going legit, Finnick?" Judy gave a proud smirk at his van. "A shame you had to cover up that lovely van art."

"I ain't ashamed of nuthin'," Finnick challenged. "I just've almost got enough dough to open my own, non-mobile ice cream joint. Then you'd've really been impressed. Hustlin' street fennec to city-famous ice cream merchant, that'll be me."

"Grouchy old fennec bursts onto the scene of frozen confections, that'll be a neat headline," Nick walked out of the shadows and towards the van.

"Dog, up your tail, Nick!" Fennec flicked a hand dismissively at him. "You know I ain't any older than you! And I told you not to tell the bunny broad about this before I hit the new location!"

"C'mon, Finnick," Nick opened his arms. "Buddy, pal. No one likes to skip to the end of the story. There's a lot of stuff to go through in the middle, too!"

"I think it's great, personally," Judy smirked. "I just don't see how you don't scare kids off with that voice of yours."

Finnick rolled his eyes, then cleared his throat. "Good day, sir and madam, could I interest you in some frozen treats?" His voice was still just as low, but it did have a more pleasant edge.

"Kind of creepy!" Judy looked at Nick.

"So you think, but he's a pro at hustling," Nick smirked. "I'm sure his business is as easy as taking candy from a kit."

"Naw, y'see, I give the KITS the treats, and they give ME the money, that's how it works, in case you forgot, boy scout," Finnick smirked darkly at him.

"Fair enough," Nick chuckled. "Hope you get settled into your new location soon."

"Here, have a couple a' these, for old time's sake," Finnick leaned out of the van and handed them a couple of red pawpsicles. "And leave me alone!" The vans doors all slammed and the engine started. The same, strange cross between ice cream truck music and a thick backbeat started up again as the van slowly lurched away.

"This world is just full of surprises," Judy shook her head, licking at her pawpsicle.

"And pawpsicles, thanks to Finnick," Nick gave a sort of salute with his own pawpsicle before he put it into his muzzle.

* * *

-Zootopia Central Train Station-

Larry felt as if his heart was going to beat right out of his little gray squirrel chest. It was finally the "today" that he didn't want to come. He got there very early at the train station to see Kara off, but the anticipation was making him feel like he was going to go crazy, and not in a way that he liked. He took out his phone and some bud headphones and put on a song to calm his nerves. The song was a bit bouncy and annoying, but it helped to distract him. Unfortunately, it distracted him long enough for a foot to come down right in front of him and him to run right into it. The rough texture was a bit of a wake up call.

"Huh?" Larry looked up and saw an unusual sight: a family of four crocodiles, all dressed in gaudily colored shirts, hats, and sunglasses. They looked like tourists. The only female in the group said something chastising to the large male in what Larry knew was reptilian, but he didn't know the words.

"Oh, I am so sorry, little squirrel!" The crocodile apologized, bending over a bit. "Are you harmed?"

"No, I'm okay," Larry shook his head. "You guys, uh, visiting?"

"From Pawaii!" The crocodile nodded. "I am Zinso. Do you recommend anything in Zootopia, to go see?"

"Um, well, Mezzo Park is nice?" Larry tilted his head. Zinso nodded, and turned to his family, saying some words in reptilian that contained "Mezzo Park". "Have fun in Zootpia?" Larry gave a small smile.

"Thank you!" Zinso said. "As we say in Pawaii, may the earth, sea, and sky above bless you." Zinso waved and he and his family left. Larry looked after them, but flinched as he felt one of the ear buds get forcibly plucked out of his ear.

"Whatcha listenin' to?" Kara smiled as she came up behind him, popping the bud into her own ear.

 _"S-U-G-A-R_  
 _Jump into your racing car_  
 _It's a Sugar Rush! Sugar Rush!"_

"Kara!" Larry fumbled, turning off the song.

"Didn't know you were into _that_ kind of music!" Kara giggled as they both removed the ear buds.

"It's an occasional vice," Larry smirked. Then, he frowned. He saw her small suitcase held in one hand, and she was wearing a backpack, too. She gave an uncomfortable sigh, and set those things down. Larry almost immediately began to cry. Kara embraced him. For a long time, neither of them said anything. Kara gently kissed at Larry's tears, crying a few herself. Then, they let each other go.

"Larry..." Kara smiled sadly at him, but was happy to see his emotion for her.

"It huh-hurts, a lot," Larry admitted, but took a deep breath and tried to center himself. "Right now, you're everything to me. But what are we going to be able to say in the future? What if we aren't each others soulmates? I can't imagine being with just some attractive, vapid squirrel who falls all over me after I race..."

"Nor I with some dopey nerdy ferret," Kara looked away. "But I won't say it's an impossibility. That's probably why it hurts so much. We're stacking the deck against ourselves..."

"Yeah," Larry gave another shaky sigh. "So I just want you to know that I love you, okay?"

Kara nodded rapidly, embracing him again and kissing him. "I love you too, Larry. And you know, whatever else happens, we both gave each other something that we can't give to anyone else. I don't regret that..."

"Me either," Larry shook his head.

"I'm not going to say goodbye to you, Larry," Kara smiled. "Just... see you later. In fact, let's listen to a song together before I leave. Should be easy enough to find from _that_ one..."

"Kara... if it's the one I think it is..." Larry's lip trembled.

Kara pressed some buttons on Larry's phone. "If you have to cry, cry, Larry. I love seeing how much you care about me..." Larry and Kara each put one of the ear buds in their ears as they listened to the song. As the chorus started to approach, Larry wasn't sobbing, but his eyes did start to water. Kara's did as well.

 _"It's been fun but now I've got to go_  
 _Life is way too short to take it slow_  
 _But before I go and hit the road_  
 _I gotta know, 'til then_  
 _When can we do this again?_  
 _When can I see you again?"_

The song ended before long and Kara picked up her things after giving Larry one more hug.

"See you later, Kara..." Larry said tiredly; nearly of all of his emotion was already spent.

"See you, Larry," Kara waved with a pleasant, warm expression, and disappeared into a train among other, larger animals.

Feeling drained, Larry turned and walked away. When he wasn't in a scamper, his footsteps felt so tiny, and it would take him forever to get home, not that he was in a rush. Right outside of the train station, the skyline of Zootopia loomed. As large as it was, and as small as he was, it was his city, and he still wanted to make his mark in it. He hoped that eventually, Kara might find her place back in Zootopia as well.

But that was a question that could only be answered after many more tomorrows. Until then, Larry's own dream wasn't too far out of reach.

He was ready to try for it.

* * *

 _Author Notes: This is it, the last installment of Zootopia: Partners! I hope you've enjoyed it. I'm sure a lot of you won't be pleased that it's over, but hey, nothing says I can't write some more Zootopia stuff in the future. I'll just have to wait for inspiration to strike in the form of more plot bunnies. In any case, I wanted to finish it so I had a complete work to my name, and end it before it became repetitive or droning. It's rather hard to come up with so many different story ideas, after all._

 _In addition, this whole series was supposed to be focused on Judy and Nick, but as you can see that kind of got away from me at times as I came up with more and more original characters. Too many more stories about them, and I feel like I would have strayed from the parameters I wanted to set for "Partners". That isn't to say I won't write about those characters in the future. Who knows what the plot bunnies will whip up, in time?_

 _Anyway, thank you very much for reading and I'll "see you later"!_


	27. Epilogue 1: Gideon Grey

_Author's Note: Oops! Apparently a lot of you want a sneak peek into what's happening to the characters of my story "after the end", so how about several chapters explaining things like that? The timeline of these will be up until ten years after the series is over. I hope you enjoy!_

Gideon Grey had a pretty good life. Why, just a year or so after Judy and Nick's wedding, which had made him tear up a little bit, he met his own special vixen. She was a red fox by the name of Veronica Denn, and to him she was prettier than a freshly-picked plum. They were wed and had children soon after. Two twins named James and John, and a little girl named Esther.

Once they were married, Veronica proved to be somewhat of a naggy wife. Gideon didn't know whether it was because he himself was so soft that he let her nag him, or if it was _because_ he was soft that she nagged him. Either way, he did love her and she was sweet to him, as long as he was doing everything right.

Though of course sometimes it was hard to know what exactly "everything right" was; Gideon felt like it could change at any time.

Gideon remained the best pastry chef in the tri-burrows. He was quite humble about it and claimed there was no secret to his success, just good old-fashioned care and attention, and the produce from the Hopps' farm didn't hurt either. Though interviewers didn't often like writing stories about Gideon because he was kind of boring in his incredible humility, the editors of their publications would demand their stories, because Gideon had his fans. His fans were of course hungry for his pies, and the secrets thereof.

"How do you feel about being the top pastry chef in the tri-burrows?" The most popular question, of course.

"Aw, I ain't really that good, am I?" Gideon's answer was always humble and joined with a scratch to the back of his head. "There's really nothin' I do that's that special, anyhow. Just make pies n' cakes n' cookies n' stuff. Gladja like 'em."

"Do you feel like you'll retire any time soon?" This was a question that was levied at him quite often as well. Gideon would always just gently swipe a paw before he answered.

"I love bakin'," he'd begin, "It ain't really that stressful, it's relaxin', easy on the body. Heck, I figure I might as well be makin' pies 'till they put me in the ground."

Rather surprisingly, twelve or so years after the Hopps' marriage, there was a plot brewing to do just that. A small jealous fluffle of baker bunnies that was tired of losing every single bake-off to Gideon Grey banded together and decided to send him a message. The message was in the form of a really rotten pie shoved into his mailbox, with a note inside.

[RELEASE YOUR BAKING SECRETS AND RECIPES TO THE PUBLIC OR YOU WONT LIVE TO SEE THE NEXT FAIR] The message read. Gideon was terrified when he read the message, but he did notice that an apostrophe was missing in "won't". Didn't they teach kits anything in school these days?

Gideon of course was quite distressed and ready to give away his secrets and methods at the drop of a hat. His wife, naturally, scolded him heavily for this. "It ain't... nothin' I do ain't that special, Veronica! It ain't worth my pride before my life!"

"You think they won't just kill you anyway?" Veronica snapped. "You have to get the authorities involved, Gid! This ain't no jokin' matter!"

Fortunately for Gideon, and unfortunately for his enemies, the Bunnyburrow Sheriff's Department had a couple of rising stars. They were actually two of Judy's oldest cousins, a couple of cream-and-white bunnies that were slightly taller than her and both looked nearly precisely like each other, despite one being female and one being male. Their names were Peter and Carol Hopps.

Peter and Carol had quickly rose to notoriety in Bunnyburrow for their bad-buns, no-nonsense attitude. Though just a couple of bunnies, they had begun to strike fear into the hearts of small-time crooks all over Bunnyburrow. For their relentless efforts, their chief, Edward Hoofhands, had given them both rather ironic nicknames:

Peaches and Cream.

Rather than be insulted, the two Hopps gladly accepted their new monikers and refused to be called anything else on the job. Cream's interrogation technique was said to be terrifying. Her gritty and husky voice could make grown rabbit bucks pellet themselves. Peaches was taciturn and never said very much of anything, but he became legendary for his shooting skills. They said if you put a gun in his hand, whether it shot darts, stun charges, or rubber bullets, he'd never miss. At least, he would claim that. None of the criminals he put away had the fluff to claim otherwise.

"Looks like ol' Gideon Grey has gotten himself into a bit of trouble," Cream said, slinging a case file over to Peaches and sitting on his desk. Peaches read it, grunting, reclined back in his chair. "Don't sit right with me."

"Uh-uh," Peaches shook his head, his voice even more gravely than his sister's. "Ain't right. Innit a conflict a' interest, though? The Hopps n' the Greys is thicker'n soup."

"We're doin' the case anyway, Peaches," Cream said stonily. "Ain't our fault our uncle signed 'im on."

"Yes ma'am," Peaches got up and went to get their cruiser.

Peaches and Cream never, ever smiled on the job, or betrayed anything but contempt for the world around them. When they traced the rotten fruit of the warning pie to a pig's farm, the pig squealed literally and figuratively after only five minutes with Cream. The two greeted the culprits, planning their take-down of Gideon Grey, in an otherwise empty hay silo.

"Nobody move," Peaches warned. When everyone in the room did, Peaches was able to put his frighteningly quick tranquilizer dart reloading skill to good use, whipping them out one after another from a belt slung diagonally across his uniform. For her part, Cream did also hit her target with one. Peaches chewed on the straw he often had in his mouth.

"Sleepin' like kits," Cream remarked, but still, no smile. The two gave each other an emotionless high-five, and the unconscious bunnies were piled into their cruiser.

Other than that incident, Gideon Grey's life went by fairly peacefully. As his kits grew into adults, they started to become a bit restless. Esther wanted some land of her own, and the twins were fairly good with their hands, but weren't showing their fathers' talent for baking.

Little did the Grey family know that they would be getting a surprise fairly soon.


	28. Epilogue 2: The Three Foxes

"Just move back home already, Vivian! We aren't going to be around for forever, then what'll happen to the Reddish Orchards?"

Every few months it was the same thing. Vivian's aging father kept trying to guilt trip her to come back to the Reddish Orchards in Bunnyburrow, where they had quite a famous name for themselves. They were a worthy, if much smaller, competitor to the Hopps Farm, at least where their fruit was concerned, anyway. However, not only did Vivian not really see herself as a farm vixen, she had her own reasons for staying away from her parents. Two reasons, in particular, that were very important to her.

Their names were Catherine Marengo and Avery Pawsfeld.

Vivian was polyamorous, and both of her parents held strictly traditional views when it came to relationships. She had actually messed up one night; her parents, dropping by her house unexpectedly, found out about Avery. This caused Catherine to have to flee from also being discovered as well. So, not only was pressure being put on her to go take up her family's orchards, but they heavily frowned upon her living with Avery without being married to him.

"Why don't you two get married, then?" Catherine shrugged, bluntly speaking her mind as she always did. "We could get tax benefits and your parents would be happy. It wouldn't have to mean anything, necessarily."

"I'd prefer to see you both in a dress, myself," Avery said sheepishly, imagining both of the vixens in his life in lovely, white dresses.

"I'm not getting married to anyone unless I can marry you both, and we all know that's not legal," Vivian grumbled in frustration. "And no, Cat, my parents are never going to be happy until I'm on their orchards with a doting husband and a belly stuffed with a kit or five."

"Oh come on," Catherine folded her arms, smirking. "You know your and Avery's kits would be adorable." Vivian showed her teeth briefly, which was a rare, but potent warning sign to Catherine.

"I'm not bringing kits into this world," Vivian said plainly. "I'm not going to have them bear the burden of their mother's eccentricities. I'm not going to have them be bullied for having three parents."

"Okay, okay, let's just calm down," Catherine said gently, holding her paws up in defense. Avery winced, not liking to see his mates fighting. "Maybe you should at least sign up Avery as a domestic partner, though." Vivian glared at her, but softened. Catherine was usually so excitable; how could she look at this from a more rational standpoint than Vivian could? Vivian was technically "in charge" of their dealings with the Reddish family, so she had the final say. They only rarely brought the subject up again.

On the more positive side, Catherine was having a lot more fun in her spare time now that Nick and Judy Wilde-Hopps knew of their relationship arrangement and accepted it, at least to some degree. Catherine loved sharing stories with them and really got into their chats. Nick and Judy found themselves over at Vivian's house more and more, filing her gray fox ears with their adventures and gossip. Nick wondered how much he really gained from uncovering the truth about Vivian's living arrangements, but Judy thought Catherine was quite fun to be around. Catherine had no censoring when it came to her words, or volume control, for that matter.

Once, Nick told Catherine a story that lasted for almost thirty minutes. Catherine sat with rapt attention the entire time, but when it came time for the story to end, Nick admitted that he had made the whole thing up. After he finally got Catherine to stop screaming to try to apologize, she yelled that she didn't care if the story was fake or not, that it was intriguing and she wanted to know the ending to it. When Nick revealed he hadn't thought that far ahead, the screaming continued, even louder this time.

Avery had finally found his style when it came to painting. He loved to paint natural settings, using more vivid colors than in nature and adding accents of other, contrasting colors, such as purple for accenting green leaves or grass. He managed to get some of his paintings into art shows and museums, but he was never more than a minor success, which didn't bother him. As it was he disliked showing up in person for signings or the like because often people would often want to get pictures of him more than his art. He was a melanistic color morph of a red fox, called a silver fox, and a rather handsome one at that. Avery knew internally that he was unusual and interesting-looking, but he still only bore that "burden" for his mates. He felt a past shame when he rather easily made ends meet as a model.

The silver fox still was having a little bit of trouble fully accepting himself and his place in the world, but he was nearly there. Avery's father, who had left him soon after his mother died, was nowhere to be found and never tried reconnecting with him. Catherine's parents, on the other hand, reacted to finding out her situation with utter apathy. Catherine often joked that they wouldn't care if she ended up being a serial killer. With Vivian's parents to hide from and Catherine's to not care about, Avery didn't feel much drive to go find his own father. He felt like Catherine and Vivian were his family, and he loved them both very much.

After Vivian's father died, her mother became more desperate for Vivian to claim the Reddish Orchards.

"What will happen to them? What will happen to our long legacy? Vivian, you're the last of the Reddish line! Will our legacy really end here?"

Vivian assured her mother, on the latter's deathbed, that she would take care of the orchards. Surveying the land, though, she knew she couldn't do it. She couldn't live out in Bunnyburrow, where there were scant few mammals to see unless you went looking for them. She couldn't endure the long commute and ask both of her mates to take long periods of time without her. She wanted to observe and chat with mammals, not tend to unfeeling trees and bushes.

"I have to sell the orchards," Vivian confessed to Nick and Judy. "I don't suppose you'd know of any interested parties?"

"I think the Hopps Farm is big enough," Judy chuckled. "Pretty soon Bunnyburrow would be taken over by the Hopps Empire."

"Maybe I have something," Nick looked on his phone, "Gideon Grey's kits are all grown up and looking for a farm."

"Surely they couldn't afford a prestigious orchard like the Reddish's?" Judy pondered aloud.

Vivian shrugged. "I could give them a good deal."

The deal was proposed, and while still pricey, the Grey kits, James, John, and Esther, were giddy with the prospect of having an orchard they could have to their own. They figured it would be great to provide their father fruits from their own labors and wean him from his dependence on the Hopps farm. Meeting with a certain weasel financial advisor, they secured a loan and bought the orchards from Vivian. And just like that, the "color" drained from the Reddish name. The legacy was now the Grey's.

Sometimes Vivian was struck with bouts of melancholy while she was alone at her frozen fruit stand in the midst of Mezzo Park. She was the last Reddish and it was likely to stay that way. But, in some ways, she felt like a criminal. From her family, she had taken one of their houses, the one in Zootopia, the seven golden, gem-tipped rings that were her birthright, and a tidy sum of income from selling the orchards. She felt a compunction while she tried to rationalize her actions.

Vivian felt like a thief, almost. She took what she wanted from her family and tossed the rest away. Though it was legally hers to do with what she willed, she knew that if the concept of a Vulpine Afterlife was even close to true, her parents would be infuriated at her, looking down at her both metaphorically and metaphysically.

"Well, here I am," Vivian said, staying at her stand way later than she normally did one night so she could greet the stars with her arms open. "Once I get past you two, I'll be at peace. I'm happy with my two mates and my the way I'm living my life. But you still made me feel guilty for who I am and what I wanted to do, for my whole life. I never came clean, even on your deathbeds. What would it have helped? You'd just meet eternity with hate in your hearts. No, I think sometimes you do have to keep secrets. Even if the only real secret I kept was that I was truly happy."

Though portraits weren't his strong suit, Avery eventually painted one of Vivian, and one of Catherine. The two were enchanted; he used his signature style to make them look almost ethereal, and brightly-colored besides. They had almost convinced him to paint one of himself as well to complete the "collection". He'd get there, eventually, he assured them.

Vivian took a look into her small treasure chest that contained the seven golden rings she inherited. She almost felt like she didn't deserve them, but she had remembered so long ago when Nick and Judy came into her life, they had helped find the rings and gone through so much trouble to do so. She had been afraid of wearing them for so long, and for various reasons. But, she decided to wear the ruby ring, the "reddish" one. She hoped she would feel less guilty, in time, by doing so. Catherine liked the look of the yellow topaz ring, and Avery favored the violet amethyst one.

"Maybe we should get four more, huh?" Catherine joked. "We still have four rings, after all."

"Oh, hush," Vivian rolled her eyes. She really hoped she had learned something concrete from all this, but she had to admit that she didn't really know. She did know, however, that as she and Catherine had been there many times for Avery when he was dealing with his own inner troubles, that Avery and Catherine would be there for her both physically and emotionally while she dealt with hers. It was nice to be loved in that way.

Speaking of learning, however, a particular peculiar chinchilla had made it his goal to teach in Zootopia's schools. He didn't realize, though, that he too had some things to learn.


	29. Epilogue 3: The Chilla Chapter

Chet "the Chilla" Chilla was a gray-furred chinchilla who always exuded an aura of utter coolness. He talked in a strange, dated style, and his airy, flippant voice made his listeners think nothing got to him and that he was totally "chilla" about everything. College was going to be an easy fit for him. Or so he thought, anyway.

It turned out that the facade of being a "frat-boy" type didn't actually mesh up well against the real deals. Zootopia University was a bit of a party school, and while Chet did like parties, he preferred smaller events with close friends to giant fur-to-fur parties with impossibly loud music. He surfed the party scene, trying to find a group of mammals he fit in with. It also didn't help that he actually wanted to do well in college to expedite his dream of becoming a teacher, a mammalian language arts teacher, if possible.

Unfortunately for Chet, it was just a different atmosphere, and he didn't hold as much social strength as he did in his lesser schooling. No one really paid much attention to his tricks, which he busted out on occasion to try to break the ice. It was pretty challenging to break dance as a chinchilla; maybe they just rolled their eyes at his efforts because they knew they couldn't contribute? Also, there was always a lot of alcohol at the parties. Chet couldn't stand alcohol. The smell, the taste, and especially how it made people act.

Chet acquired some acquaintances in college, but no one he'd considered a close friend. He was about to give up on the party scene altogether when he saw one chinchilla that changed his mind. Well, to be more precise, he _heard_ her first. It was a karaoke night at the party and a really energetic and shockingly gorgeous voice drew Chet over to the area to watch and listen to her. He was surprised to see that she was a chinchilla with bright, light-blue eyes. He decided to continue to attend this group's round of parties.

It became extremely obvious to his acquaintances before long that Chet was crushing pretty hard on the chinchilla, who was named Celeste Puftuft. Chet made every excuse to see her, hear her sing, and even talked to her a few times. Celeste's non-singing voice was quite pleasant too, and she seemed like a fun, easy-going girl.

"Dude, ask her out!" His fellows would say playfully, shoving him.

But he couldn't bring himself to. There was one big problem, to him, about Celeste. She had white fur. Now, Chet never mentioned to his acquaintances _why_ this was actually a problem for him, but he did, under duress, once tell one of his "friends" that her having white fur was off-putting to him. Chet began to feel anxious about it; he knew that Celeste likely had the eye of every chinchilla at Zootopia University, and probably several other rodents, or even mustelids or slightly larger animals. He thought she was _that_ attractive. One evening, the heady atmosphere of the party was getting to him. He didn't like how some wild parties made him feel like he was part of a liquid, waving furry machine. It made him a little sick to his stomach, actually.

He exited the recreational center out the back, where the pool was, trying to catch his thoughts.

Okay Chilla, he thought to himself. She's great. This is _your_ problem. Just ask her out, there's no problem with _her_ , just-

Chet's thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of being shoved, and the chilly splash of suddenly being submerged in the pool. He got out of the water, gasping for air. When he turned, he saw Celeste standing at the edge of the pool with her hands on her hips.

"So that's it, huh?" Celeste said, her whiskers twitching in irritation. " _That's_ why you haven't asked me out!? Because I have _white fur_?"

"Ah, fluff..." Chet groaned, trying to get himself out of the water. He felt like he weighed twice as much while he was sopping wet. He got out of the pool and confronted her, his fists balled, shivering a little. Chinchillas did not look flattering when they were wet.

"I knew there was something off about you," Celeste narrowed her eyes. "You act like you're cool, but there was always something a bit weird about you. You don't drink, you back out of parties when they get too loud, and it turns out you're just a big idiot who can't date anyone who doesn't share his fur color."

"Y-you're right, Celeste, I'm an idiot," Chet nodded, shivering. Celeste was taken aback; the way he said it gave her pause. She got him a towel and threw it at him. Chet wrapped himself in it.

"Here, so you don't look so pathetic," Celeste folded her arms. "Tell me why, though. What reason could you have for being this way?"

"I'm not going to tell you why," Chet said in a rather heavy voice. "I barely know you."

"Yeah, and you aren't gonna _get_ to know me if you keep acting like this!" Celeste challenged. "I wanna know what makes you tick. You're... interesting. Different."

"You remind me of my mom," Chet said vaguely.

"Oh wow, is that the type of competition I'm dealing with?" Celeste rolled her eyes.

"My mom 'won' me from the custody battle following my parents divorce, like I was some kind of prize," Chet said, his voice completely devoid of its normal flavor. He didn't know why, but he couldn't stop himself from talking. Celeste's eyes widened. "I did most of the chores, she never much felt like doing anything if she had a child to delegate everything to. Her job stressed her out, and she'd calm her nerves with alcohol, a lot of it. She wasn't a kind drunk, either. She'd take books, my books, and beat me with them." Chet felt so hollow at the end of this admission. He wanted to feel relief, maybe even hurt Celeste a bit with his words. But he just felt empty, and Celeste looked like she didn't want to say anything.

"Oh, uh..." Celeste fumbled. Chet tried to dry himself off a bit more.

"Just your average damaged chinchilla," Chet said. "No big. Just have to fight not to be anything like her. That's all. That's why I won't touch the bottle. And that's why white-furred chinchillas... heh. I know it doesn't make any sense. And I don't really want any pity, either. So I dunno why I even said anything."

"I um..." Celeste stammered. "Listen, Chet. I'm not so good with words. I have no clue what to say." She managed a tiny smile. "I do know how I can make it up to you, though."

"Go on a date with me?" Chet tilted his head, managing a bare smirk as well.

"Well sure, but I meant right now," Celeste grinned wider. Chet felt a shot of panic through his nerves, but Celeste just closed her eyes and unceremoniously hopped in the water herself. Chet gave a small gasp, and Celeste laughed, getting out of the water. "J-jeez! That's cold... I'm shaking like a l-leaf!" Chet handed her a towel, and both wrapped up, they sat on the side of a long pool chair and just talked with each other. That went on for over an hour.

Their first date was to be held at one of the beaches of Sahara Square. Chet was sure to pack his sunglasses, because his eyes usually said a lot about what he was thinking, and he knew they'd probably be darting to Celeste quite a lot. But sunglasses couldn't hide his jaw dropping as soon as he saw Celeste. Not because she was in a swimsuit, though that was nice too, but because her fur had been dyed a light pink.

"How do I look?" Celeste asked lightly, giving a twirl. Chet was speechless, but he did start to sob a little. "O-oh." Celeste gave a guilty smile, trying to think of something to change his mood. "Am I so hot you're moved to tears?"

"W-why'd you do it...?" Chet managed to get out.

"Always wanted to try it," Celeste laughed. "So it's not for you, it's for me, okay?"

"Sure..." Chet gave a wobbly giggle. He didn't quite believe her.

It was perhaps the hardest thing he had to drill into his head through his whole college experience. The dye was temporary, but once it was gone, Celeste was still the same chinchilla. She was a chinchilla he was really starting to fall for, and he told her so.

They were married soon after both of them finished college. Larry Wilde-Hopps, Chet's best friend, was there, of course. Chet wanted him to be his best mammal, which he accepted, though Chet called him "best brody". Celeste had also convinced Chet to hire a guard for the wedding, in case his mother tried to crash it. She did, but thankfully the two were unaware of that. Rinn Chilla may have been enraged, but that wasn't going to get her past a hippo.

"Dude, brody, it's been too long!" Chet said, giving Larry a small hug. "Tell me what's going on with yourself!"

"C'mon, 'the Chilla'," Larry rolled his eyes. "Don't spare me a thought on your big day."

"That's not fair, dude," Chet laughed. "I wanna know!"

"Gimme another year or so," Larry gave a soft chuckle. "And I'll probably talk your ear off."

"Aright bro, I'm holding you to that!" Chet gave him a serious face and pointed at him.

Chet rather easily secured a job teaching middle school Language Arts, as Zootopia was pretty hard up for teachers at that time. The faculty, especially the "old guard", was rather contemptuous of Chet's easy-going nature and eccentric teaching style, but the children loved him. Chet brought an energetic, passionate approach to his classroom, as he was genuinely interested in words, their functions, meanings, how you could "mutate" them, and while his methods baffled some kits, others were enthralled. More than a few mammal-on-mammal collisions occurred just outside his classroom from rodents and mustelids rushing to get inside.

It must have been some sort of curse someone had placed on him at some point, Chet mused.

He and Celeste lived in a "cozy" apartment at Pangolin Arms. Chet would often come home to her lovely singing voice, as she was practicing to try to break into the music scene, herself. The walls in Pangolin Arms were paper thin, but no one ever seemed to complain when Celeste just randomly belted out into song. She did, of course, keep it to daylight hours.

She was also a rather silly and carefree chinchilla, and pulled several pranks on Chet. One of her most infamous was drawing a black mustache on him with fur dye when he failed to wake up on time. Chet chuckled when he saw what his wife had done to him, and so did his students once he got to class. Thus encouraged, Celeste loved interacting with him like this, sometimes giving him silly hats to try to get away with at school.

"It's honestly like he's still a student!" One older female chinchilla snapped in irritation to a male weasel teacher when they saw him walking down the hallway in a comically large sombrero.

"Maybe that's why the kits like him?" The weasel replied.

And they did like him, both his unpredictable nature, and his passion for teaching the subject he loved.

"So that's all I'm up to," Chet admitted to Larry. The two had met at a coffee shop. Both drank decaffeinated coffee, of course, as it was often dangerous, in a non-medical way, to caffeinate a rodent. "What about you?"

"So you never watch any of my races?" Larry gave a small smirk, sipping his coffee.

"I _try_ , Lares, really I do!" Chet groaned. "My eyes glaze over when I try to pay attention to all those cars moving on those winding tracks..."

"So what color is Celeste now?" Larry deflected Chet's intended topic.

"Eh, just some random aqua markings," Chet shrugged. "I think she still likes being pink best- hey! C'mon Larry, gimme the goods!"

"Maybe I'll just wait to write a book," Larry chuckled, "I know how much you like books."

"Oh come _on_!" Chet threw his hands in the air. "At least give me a summary!"

"If you insist," Larry laughed, relenting.


	30. Epilogue 4: Sinistral Squirrel

Larry Wilde-Hopps. Son of Nick and Judy Wilde-Hopps, the famous police officers. Legendary gray squirrel racer.

At least, the last part was what he had hoped. Larry was picked up quickly after he got his motor racing license by the Southpaw Laundry Detergent Company. This coincidentally suited Larry just fine, as he was left-handed. Through his first year or so of racing in the Tiny Racing League, Larry was barely average as a racer, despite his enthusiasm. He had begun to feel like he was only chosen to fill a slot, as Southpaw had representatives in the other major Racing Leagues, and seemed desperate for a new one. Larry was fearful that he might even lose his sponsorship after the first year.

However, Larry had to swallow his fears when he was called in by the company to do a photo shoot with some of his counterparts. Southpaw needed advertisement shots for their products. The other representatives were all, of course, much larger than him, some ridiculously so. Among them, the largest was George Rhinostone, a rhinoceros in the Huge Racing League, and a cheetah in the Speed Racing League who went by the impossibly-cool nickname "Trace Laser". Trace had been with Southpaw the longest, and was considered a veteran racer even though he was only in his mid-thirties. George was in his late twenties, but you'd never know that by his super deep and gravelly voice.

"Whoa," Larry marveled after George introduced himself. "Hey, haven't I heard you somewhere before? Were you a character in New Super Bash Bunnies?"

"I was!" George gave a hearty chuckle, and even that sounded like it had some malice behind it. "But I don't think I'll be his voice actor for the next one; it's too expensive for those guys for me to get into character." He gave a little chuckle. Larry was about to ask him what he meant, but the photo-shoot began. George often had to hold up Larry with one hand to be the right height for the shoots, and Larry felt a bit nervous to be the newbie alongside these other racing legends. They eventually broke for lunch, and the three sat together.

Trace was rather standoffish of the new, unpromising squirrel, but George seemed very interested in talking to him and getting to know what his life was like. Larry was surprised at how friendly and warm the rhino was, because his intimidating look and voice spoke only gruffness to him. He even tried to look intimidating in his photo-shoots, with malicious smirks and dangerous angles. George easily wrung out Larry of his story and upon doing so, Trace seemed to soften somewhat.

"I dunno if I'm going to make it here," Larry admitted, "I'm just not that good; not like you guys."

"Listen, kit," Trace said. Larry's eyes widened; he wasn't expecting an Outback Island accent from the cheetah. "You don't necessarily have to be good, ahroit? What you need is a gimmick, like George and I."

"What do you mean?" Larry inquired. Trace removed his deep-green tinted glasses to show his similarly-colored eyes underneath.

"It don't have to be anythin' too special," Trace went on. "I go by Trace Laser. In all of my press conferences I wear these green-tinted glasses, or somethin' loik 'em. My racing helmet has the same colored visor. The color of a green laser. Lasers are pretty fast, roit?"

"As fast as anything can be," Larry nodded. "How'd you come up with that?"

"Wasn't that hard," Trace laughed. "Just always liked the color. Had to wear glasses when I was a kitten, figured I'd try to look fetchin' as well. Then, before I started racing, I had laser eye surgery. All just koinda came together for me."

"Sorry if this is rude," Larry narrowed his eyes, "but how'd you get an Outback Island accent?"

"Well, we have one thing in common, little kit," Trace smirked, "we're both adopted. Was immediately dropped off at an adoption center when I was a newborn. Adopted by a great pair of wallabies. Legal name is Tracy Wallabean. Got the feelin' my birth mother wanted a girl, perhaps?" Larry absorbed this, his jaw dropping a bit in wonder. He then turned to George.

"What's your gimmick, then?"

"It's even simpler than Trace's!" George laughed. "I just get uh, really excited during the Huge Racing League. You know we get to crush junk cars while we're racing, right?" Larry nodded. "Well, I kind of really like breaking things. Always have. My sister's sandcastles, my brother's building block structures. Kind of an embarrassing habit for a rhino to have." He chuckled deeply. "But I can let it all out on the track, really get a good belly laugh going. Some people wanted to call me Wreck-It Rhino, but we obviously can't use that one for legal reasons." Larry gave a soft chuckle; he liked that movie.

"Yeah, all you need is somethin' to make you stand out from the pack," Trace agreed, "then you'll find yourself some fans. Hopefully that'll keep you around."

With the vote of confidence, Larry tried to make himself stand out on the track, but he really couldn't think of a good idea. He felt like just an average squirrel with a youthful face and a heaping load of inexperience. After his girlfriend Kara's first year of college, however, the two met up for a little while during her vacation, and during Larry's next race, he drove rather aggressively and riskily. He took corners around the serpentine curves of the tracks like he never had before, and he finally won his first race. The crowd went both figuratively and literally nuts, tossing peanuts, cashews, and pecans up in the air as the heretofore mediocre squirrel took away an upset over other favorites.

Without thinking, Larry did a sort of flippant almost-salute with his left hand as his right arm held his first trophy. This became a bit of a trademark with him, and Southpaw loved it as well because it tied in with their "left-pawed" branding. Larry's pit crew would give him this loose-fingered salute when they finished with his bright blue car, and he would salute when he edged into first place, won a race, or during his interviews. He'd finally gained a gimmick.

However, his capricious racing style wasn't something he could summon just at whim. He really needed visits with Kara to bring up his excitement level. His wildly varying performance actually got him a few fans, though, as it was exciting to them every time he pulled off a win. Larry would get interviewed more often, and the reporters were trying to give him a more marketable name.

"Angel in the interviews, demon in the driver's seat." That one didn't catch on, as it was too cumbersome.

"The Squealing Squeak." A bit generic; it was soon dropped, as well.

"The Detergent Daredevil." Southpaw themselves proposed this one, but it didn't get anywhere.

"Sinistral Squirrel." This one finally stuck. His cocky, left-handed salute when he snatched victory away from another rodent was becoming famous, and even his fans in the audience would perform it. He got the reputation as a bit of a "heel" racer, even though he was a nice guy, but Larry didn't mind. He was having a lot of fun.

As he found his groove and garnered more fans, he had a couple of scares. Not from driving accidents, though he did get into a few scrapes and a mild crash or two every now and again, but from females. One was from a charming fox squirrel on his pit crew. Larry had lunch with her at times before abruptly realizing the lunches could easily be seen as dates. She did look quite saddened when he told her the two should keep things professional, but she agreed with him and the two remained friendly.

Another incident happened with an unscrupulous gray squirrel reporter, whom Larry accepted a "private" interview from naively, not realizing she worked for an infamous tabloid. Her questions got uncomfortably probing, and when Larry started dodging most of them, she put the moves on him herself, which caused Larry to panic and flee. Angered, the reporter tried to cause a media backlash with Larry's uncertain relationship status.

"'The Sinistral Squirrel, into males'?" George read from a tabloid he brought into their next photo shoot.

"Huh?" Larry blinked. "Where did they get that from?"

"Something about you rejecting the advances of 'several' female squirrels," George chuckled. "Did you cheese off a reporter?"

"I don't think so..." Larry considered. "There was this crazy reporter who came onto me, but I got away from her."

"Ugh, that'd do it," Trace groaned. "And they've got skilled lawyers protectin' their tails from all sorts of allegations, so you probably couldn't even go after them for misinformation."

"To me, male or female doesn't even matter," George chuckled. "I just want a large mammal I can cuddle with." Larry gave an amused, impressed huff at this.

"You an' I are cursed with our boyish good looks," Trace gave a friendly nudge to the gray squirrel with the back of his hand. "I've had more than a few brainless cheetah girls throw themselves at me. But I think I'll meet the roit one sometime."

"To tell the truth, I'm in love with a ferret girl," Larry shrugged. Both George and Trace looked surprised.

"Well, don't let anyone know, ahroit?" Trace suggested. "Unless you want it all ovuh the news."

"Yeah, I intend to keep it from the media," Larry nodded. "My fox dad has inadvertently taught me all kinds of lessons about keeping your feelings secret." The squirrel chuckled.

Once Kara finished her schooling, she was able to spend a bit more time with Larry, which had a directly positive impact on his racing performance. He steadily became better until he was just an all-around good racer. Ironically, this made his popularity take a hit as his consistency rose. So, he had to channel his "character", the Sinistral Squirrel, to win his fans back, adding more daring moves and unpredictability to his racing, which ended up working well. Larry was quite happy with his how racing career was going, and his fellow Southpaw sponsors and his pit crew were making pretty good friends with him.

Though there were precious few who knew about Larry's relationship with Kara Pedshark, a small number actually did. A couple of small mammals in particular, one of whom had a vested interest in the seemingly random fortune he found early on in his racing career.


	31. Epilogue 5: Two Little Princesses

Going to college was basically just a formality for Judie Big, granddaughter of Mr. Big. She knew she'd eventually be wrapped up in the relatively comfortable life of a mafia princess, but she wanted to do some soul-searching to determine if she wanted to try grabbing the reins at all. The shrew had enrolled in Zootopia University under the name "Judie Smalls".

By sheer chance, her dorm mate happened to be Kerry Princess Weaselton, a brown weasel who was studying to become a financial advisor. She wanted to have a legitimate job for herself and not be under the chance and questionable legality of the type of activities her father, Duke Weaselton, engaged in.

Ironically, Judie and Kerry felt like they learned more from each other than their college classes. Judie was great with numbers, and she often helped Kerry with her assignments when she was frustrated or tired. Meanwhile, Kerry would frequently brag about how easily she could read people in the college and filled Judie's ears with gossip. Who was getting together, who would be breaking up, who was becoming prominent in the party scene. Judie grinned inwardly when she took up this information; the shrew thought learning how to read and manipulate mammals would serve her well if she tried to make her own name in the Big family.

The two became platonically inseparable, and were like a tag-team of trouble. Kerry's words could cut deep, so no one tended to mess with either one of them. Judie was amused that she was "protected" by Kerry. If she had let anyone know who exactly _she_ was, they would have kept an even wider berth.

Judie remained a big fan of the Tiny Racing League, and watched races whenever she could get away with it. She recognized Larry from a chance encounter right before both of them graduated high school, and tended to root for him.

"Aw, Larry, eighth place?" Judie chuckled as one race concluded early in his career. "Ya gonna have ta do better than that!"

"Larry?" Kerry walked up to the television in interest. "Larry Wilde-Hopps? Huh! He did make it onto the track after all." She put her hands on her hips.

"Ya know Larry, then?" Judie asked in curiosity.

"Know him?" Kerry flicked her paw in the air. "I went to both middle school _and_ high school with him. I should be asking you how the heck _you_ know him!"

"Chance meeting," Judie shrugged. "He was bummed about graduating for some reason."

"Ah, that'd be because his girlfriend moved away to go to Pawprintsteen University in the Northwest," Kerry explained. "He's such a goober for her."

"She must be a noice squirrel; he was really bummed that day," Judie offered.

"Oh no, she's one of _my_ best friends actually, a ferret," Kerry smirked.

Judie blinked. "No way?"

So, that type of gossip prevailed between the two, and Judie learned more about Larry and Kara. The day Larry won his first race, both "princesses" were beside themselves.

"He won! Ha HA!" Judie pumped one of her fists.

"Ah, Larry, you dope!" Kerry tossed her head back in laughter. "I bet it's because Kara's on break and just went to visit him. Fueled by a ferret, what a _male_ , am I right?"

"Ya don't say!" Judie stroked her chin thoughtfully. Judie had Kerry keep her informed of the next time the ferret was in Zootopia. She looked up the schedule for the next race, and thought up a fairly simple plan.

Judie never went anywhere dangerous without her own personal bodyguard polar bear, Nathan. He carried her into a shady betting establishment, where he, with his other hand, produced a tiny fortune that Judie had managed to squeeze out of her father.

"Alla this, on Larry Wilde-Hopps, to win it," Judie said dangerously. "First place."

"You think you're hot fluff, little girl?" The boar bookie said, looking at Larry's wild odds because of his inconsistent performance. "Alright, it's your funeral."

"It'll be yours if you don't show me some respect," Judie snarled. "It's Little Miss Big, to you." A few mammals in the establishment gasped. The bookie looked over the unfriendly-looking polar bear who was holding Judie, and suddenly remembered the legacy of the Big family.

"Er, yes, Little Miss Big, as you say, all of that on Larry," the boar nodded, scooping up the money.

Judie made out like a bandit that day. Larry had taken first, and Judie took a substantial sum of money back to college, but not before bragging to her family about how good she was getting at reading people. She hoped to find a commanding role in the Big family.

"Here ya go," Judie handed a wad of bills over to Kerry, who's eyes bugged out. "Buy yaself somethin' noice."

"What's all this from!?" Kerry blinked in astonishment.

"Can't tell ya," Judie grinned.

"You're killing me, Smalls," Kerry shook her head, "well uh, why do I deserve it, then?"

Judie chuckled haughtily. "Why, for bein' my 'financial consultant', of course."

After their college education had concluded, Judie had Kerry meet her alone one evening at Mezzo Park.

"What's this about, Judie?" Kerry asked with a hint of unease.

"A business proposal," Judie said smugly, "I want you to be my right-hand weasel. We complete each other. You're great with manipulating people, and I'm good with numbers. You need my help, and I need yours. I'd like ya to become a part of my family."

"Uh!?" Kerry flinched. "Um, I told you I'm not like that, Judie. We're just friends."

"Great friends," Judie nodded. "We should work together. I should tell you, my names not Judie Smalls, It's Judie BIG."

"Oh..." Kerry's eyes widened and her pupils shrank as she felt a jolt of fear in her tummy. She recalled a story her father had told her about how he nearly lost his life to Mr. Big.

"So whaddaya say?" Judy smirked.

"I, uh," Kerry poked her fingers together, "I've tried my whole life to keep my nose clean, to prove I could make it without resorting to being a petty crook like my dad..."

"Psh, ya wouldn't just be a _petty_ crook," Judie grinned, "you'd be a part of one of the most infamous criminal organizations in Zootopia! You can still have your little legit job as a financial advisor or whatever." She flicked her wrist. "It'd make a great cover!"

"I guess I have no choice, then," Kerry said nervously, her heart pounding in fear. "You've told me all this; you'd have to kill me if I said no..."

"Me? Nevah," Judie looked shocked, putting her hands to her chest. "I'd only have to kill you if you did something stupid, like reveal who I was to anyone else." She winked. "You've made me a lot of money with your analytical weasel eye, Kerry. I ain't gonna bump ya off that easy."

"Oh!" Kerry quickly spun it through her head how Judie could have been making money off of knowledge that she provided.

"C'mon..." Judie grinned. "It'll be a blast. I promise ya!"

"Oh, sure," Kerry grinned. "I have to say, getting the chance to manipulate mammals at that high of a level is rather appealing..."

"Now we're talking!" Judie laughed. "Nathan, Tony! Get out here." Kerry flinched in fright as two large polar bears came from behind some trees and lumbered over towards them.

"Wh-who are these guys?" Kerry cringed.

"Well, Nathan's mine," Judie said as the polar bear in question picked her up. "Tony'll be yours. We gotta protect our assets."

"W-whoa, I get my own _bodyguard_?" Kerry marveled as Tony gently lifted her in his cupped hands.

"Ain't loif grand?" Judie cackled.

The news of Kerry's double life eventually reached the Weaseltons, and her mother was both terrified and furious. But when she confronted Duke about this, he just clutched at his chest with pride and sighed.

"Ah, she's daddy's little girl..."

Judie continued to make a good deal of money at the betting establishments. Since no one else seemed to be able to read when Larry would do well except for Little Miss Big, Larry also _cost_ a lot of people money. Judie would occasionally overhear talk about frustrated bettors wanting to make Larry "have an accident". Mysteriously, these mammals ended up vanishing, one way or another. Besides Larry, there was another that Judie was confident enough to bet on. She was a bit tougher to read than Larry, but with Kerry's help, she still made money off of her.


	32. Epilogue 6: Fox Ice Cream Joint

Heather Mine headed into the "creatively" named Fox Ice Cream Joint which was, surprisingly enough, an ice cream parlor run by foxes. She groaned; the door had felt so heavy to her. She'd just finished with her strenuous exercise regime. She knew she probably didn't have to work herself so hard for college-level pawball, but she figured there was no point in giving it any less than her best.

She headed to the smallest register, where a smug looking fennec fox wearing pastel and white colored clothes greeted her. Heather looked at his name tag. A fennec named "Finnick". This place was just full of "surprises".

"What can I get you?" Finnick asked her in his extremely deep voice.

"Think I'll have a small-size double scoop of vanilla, with sprinkles," Heather looked over the menu. The cool, sweet treat would be just the refreshment she needed.

"Vanilla?" Finnick scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "Girl, we got thirty-six flavors."

"Yes, and vanilla is the one I want!" Heather snapped. "There's nothing _wrong_ with vanilla!"

"Ooh, feisty! I like that," Finnick chuckled, filling her order. "You keep that up. We small animals have gotta keep our zest."

Heather rolled her eyes and paid for her treat, picking up the ice cream bowl and spoon and heading to a bar-stool close to the register to eat it. There weren't many other small-sized customers to serve, so Finnick ended up glancing over at Heather every now and again.

The stoat reflected over her life at Zootopia University. She couldn't really complain. She'd easily placed onto their Female Mustelid Pawball Association team. Though it was just the college level, she was determined to give it her all. She was intensely aggressive in her play style, and often ended up scoring the most goals on her team. Stoats were rather infamous among mustelids for their temperament, but Heather's exuberance on the field stood out even among her contemporaries. Her practice doing physical "tricks" with her friends in her youth led her to develop some unique kicks that she showed off every now and again. She gave a grin into her ice cream dish as she allowed herself a secret thought about how good she was. Finnick caught this grin, and realization slowly grew over his face.

"Oh! I recognize you," Finnick grinned, snapping his fingers and pointing at her. "You play pawball, don't you?"

Heather cocked an eyebrow, looking with disbelief at Finnick after swallowing a bite of ice cream. "You watch college the Female Mustelid Pawball Association? That's a bit of a niche pick."

"Young mustelid females are about the feistiest group of mammals you could ever watch when it comes to sports," Finnick chuckled.

"Wow, okay!" Heather narrowed her eyes, grimacing. "Please stop talking to me, old creepy fennec."

"Hey, I ain't old, I'm middle-aged," Finnick insisted, starting to rinse and clean some ice cream dishes. "You're Heather Mine?"

Heather sighed. "Yes. And you're not getting my autograph unless you want me to write it on your forehead with this ice cream."

"Yo, you paid for it, you do whatever you want," Finnick grinned.

"Why are you so irritating?" Heather snapped.

"Cause I finally got what I wanted out of life," Finnick chuckled. "A steady job, servin' treats. My own ice cream joint. Nice an' easy life for ol' Finnick from here on out."

"Your dream was to be a soda jerk?" Heather seemed confused.

"No doubt; I had the jerk part down early," Finnick winked with a toothy grin. "And it's like you said. Ain't nothin' wrong with vanilla, even if that's yo' passion. Course, if I could kick a ball like you can, maybe I'd be singin' a different tune."

"Hm..." Heather looked contemplative.

"What's the matter?" Finnick tilted his head. "You ain't like havin' a full scholarship and bein' the best striker in the whole association?"

"No, that's fine, I just wonder if it'll carry over to the pros," Heather winced, looking unsure. "The mustelids there all seem even crazier than I can get."

"Oh, is that all you're worried about?" Finnick laughed again. "You'll be fine. And boy, the money those pro pawball players make..." Finnick raised his eyes to the ceiling, shaking his head with a serene smile.

"Sometimes... I did wonder if it was my dream or not," Heather suddenly admitted.

"Whatchoo mean?" Finnick replied.

"Well, my dad, Roger Mine, used to be a pro pawball player," Heather shrugged, taking another bite of ice cream. "I feel like I'm just following his path rather than making my own, you know?"

"I getchoo," Finnick nodded, "is there somethin' you'd rather be doin'?"

"That's the thing," Heather tapped her spoon on the dish. "I... don't really think so? I don't really have a drive for anything else. And, well, I am pretty good at pawball..."

"Those dances you do when you score a goal ain't bad, either," Finnick chuckled.

"Oh, heh, those, learned those from a good friend," Heather had a small, but toothy grin.

"They your significant other?" Finnick flashed a smile.

"Oh no, she's spoken for," Heather shook her head.

"Ah, into the ladies, then?" Finnick gave a deep chuckle.

"What? No!" Heather threw her spoon down. "Is it just because I'm into sports and have kinda a husky voice...?"

"Uh, no, I ain't said anything was wrong with that, anyway, girl, chill!" Finnick laughed even harder. "You got a boyfriend, then?"

"There's barely any time for that," Heather shook her head. "Dunno how much I really want one, anyway. The mustelids that come after me are all trying too hard to impress me with how cool or _male_ they are. I kinda want one that I can be tough on, you know? Maybe a little sweet, smart. ...Oh fluff me, I _do_ just want a male version of my best friend."

Finnick cackled again. "Boy that's a shame, innit? Sure you can't 'switch teams'?"

"I don't even know why I'm talking to you," Heather tried to sound angry, but she was grinning.

"Ah, the ladies can never resist a fox," Finnick rubbed his claws on his apron. "Specially not a fennec. We're just too adorable."

"Yeah, with that voice?" Heather shook her head.

"So tell me about your friend, huh? Sounds like she's important to your story," Finnick folded his paws over the counter.

"Don't you have some sort of _work_ you could be doing?" Heather gave him a reproving smile. She had finished her ice cream, but she was still sitting there for some reason.

"Naw, my boys got it," Finnick grinned, gesturing to his co-workers, who were all different, taller fox species than him. "Not a lot of non-foxes come into a place like this, anyway, much less random smaller animals like you."

"So you want to know about my ferret friend?" Heather folded her arms. "I'm not really great at telling stories."

"C'mon girl, I've still got a few hours left in my shift," Finnick encouraged. "Amuse me. Maybe I'll give you a free ice cream next time. Vanilla, of course."

"Yeah, if I ever come back here," Heather smirked. "Fine, I guess so."


	33. Epilogue 7: Pleasant Chemistry

Though she felt like she might be being a little over-dramatic, Kara Pedshark found her six years of college to get her master's degree in chemical engineering to be the longest of her life. She had fallen quite deeply in love with Larry Wilde-Hopps, and to leave the squirrel behind in Zootopia and go to the prestigious college in Pawprintsteen in the northwest was one of the toughest decisions she made for her future.

The honey-and-white ferret and the gray squirrel corresponded by texts nearly constantly, and Muzzletime between two and three times a week. Despite this, the inability to be physically close to each other bothered both of them. Larry noticed he was starting to get more selfies from Kara, even without asking for them. Also, they were getting more and more risque. Larry started having to make sure he only checked his phone in private. Kara figured out that Larry particularly liked it when she'd pose while nibbling on the ends of the pink stems of her glasses. Kara enjoyed tantalizing Larry as much as he enjoyed being tantalized; he made her feel very attractive and desirable when, while she was growing up, she always thought of herself as rather plain.

Larry wasn't alone in finding Kara attractive, however. As he had predicted before they parted, she caught the eye of several mustelids during her college term. Unbeknownst to her, however, the confidence and focus she had developed within herself made others a bit nervous to actually approach her. Kara kept her focus on her classes, as she was a bit of a perfectionist, and tried to keep her grade point average paramount in her life. She also didn't get too close to any females in college, because she didn't want to let it slip that she was still in a relationship with a squirrel. She knew that would only lead to teasing.

Kara tried to make it down to Zootopia whenever she was on break. She knew that Larry's career had gotten started, so he couldn't fit a visit to Pawprintsteen into his schedule. Between her visits, their textual and vocal conversations over the phone were often filled with emotional reassurances of their love. If anyone had actually overheard or saw any of these, their tolerance for sappy romantic prose might have been tested. So when Kara finally made it back to Larry, their interactions were decidedly more physical. Though Kara knew the mixture of her geekiness and sensuality was Larry's favorite and she could often lead him by the tail to do whatever she wanted, she also quickly found out that a riled-up squirrel was a force to be reckoned with.

The ferret's ears felt hot when she got the news that Larry won his first race; she had been visiting him and left only a couple of days before that. She wondered if it was just some sort of fluke, but a definite pattern started to emerge the more times she would go to visit. She supposed it was just a rather pleasant "chemical reaction" that only she could offer him. She kind of liked that.

Larry had an incredibly powerful guilty conscience drilled into him from growing up with Judy and Nick Wilde-Hopps. Between Judy's emotional coercion, and Nick's perceptive powers, Larry could never get away with anything. Thus, he easily broke and admitted to Kara how he had rather accidentally started "dating" a squirrel from his pit crew before breaking it off, and the incident where he was harassed by a tabloid reporter. Kara found it very heartwarming how much Larry valued his devotion to her, and promised within herself that she would do her best to be worthy of that devotion.

She was tested, however, her fourth year of college. There was a very handsome, charming, and self-assured pine marten in a few of her classes by the name of Albert Parker. He was friendly with her, never rude, shared her major, and was very conversational. Also, she did admit his brown fur coloring with the copper chest fur was attractive.

Kara found herself doing something she never thought she'd do: attend a party just to see what would happen. She was offered a drink by Albert, which she refused, as she knew she was a lightweight. He accepted the rejection gracefully, and went to go talk with his buddies.

"Hey, um, hello?" A meek voice came behind her. She turned to see another ferret, a more traditionally-colored one. "I'm Sherri Ferry. We have a couple classes together? C-couldn't help but notice Albert was talking to you?"

"Yeah," Kara gave a small smile. "He seems really nice."

"Sure, 'seems'," Sherri said, her eyes not meeting Kara's. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of Albert yet. He makes a bet to get with the most unavailable-seeming mustelid every year. H-he hasn't lost yet."

"What?" Kara seemed unconvinced. "That seems like an almost comically base thing to do at such a prestigious college as this."

"Well, he's got a full scholarship and all," Sherri shrugged. "Guess he doesn't care what he's doing too much. Anyway, he likes 'morphing' himself to try to be whatever he thinks the girl wants. If he gets you, I guarantee he'll break up with you before the end of the year. He's done it three times before, after all."

"I'll admit he does seem a bit... 'perfect' for me," Kara said, worry taking root in her, "but why would you care to tell me? I haven't really been that friendly to anyone in college..."

"I uh," Sherri looked alarmed, her ears hot. "W-well, I'm kind of, uh... ah-attracted to females, so... I know you're not! B-but... you're cute and all, s-so, I just didn't want you to get hurt..." Sherri fidgeted and fumbled with her paws while she tripped over her words.

Kara gave a small smile. "Well, Sherri, you might have saved me from a huge mistake. Will you accept a friendly hug?"

"O-oh, will I ever!" Sherri giggled, hugging her quickly. Kara gratefully hugged the shy ferret; she guessed it couldn't have been easy for Sherri to admit what she did with those sort of feelings in her heart.

One of Albert's mink friends elbowed him in the ribs and jerked his head over to the two hugging ferrets. "Looks like you're barking up the wrong tree this time, Parker."

"What? Impossible," Albert narrowed one eye. "I could have sworn I almost had her. Maybe that's why she was playing so hard to get."

"Ha ha, you lose!" A stoat shoved him in a friendly manner.

"Eh, just have to find an even harder mark next year," Albert smirked. "Three out of four isn't bad."

Kara sat alone in her bed that night, feeling a bit ashamed. She had almost let a mercurial mustelid attract her when all he was after was a notch on his belt. She kept wanting to text Larry about her mistake, but she kept deleting the things she started typing. Larry must have been using his phone at the time and noticed the ellipses indicating her typing, and eventually he made the first text.

[Everything okay, Ferrety?]

It will be now, she thought to herself. She redoubled the resolution in her heart to only have her nearsighted eyes on her squirrel, someone who had cared for her through all sorts of situations, both good and bad. Kara got very close to telling him the truth, but she decided to text him another, more common truth.

[Yeah. I love you, Larry.]

[Love you too, cutie! Can't wait to see you again!]

[You can't, huh? Then just hold on a second.] Kara made sure her nightshirt was drooping off one of her shoulders and put on her best coy look as she prepared to take a selfie while nibbling on her glasses once again.

After Kara's schooling, she was able to get a job as a chemical engineer rather easily in Zootopia, to her immense relief. She had to tour the various power plants in Zootopia, making sure everything was copacetic. Her schedule was pretty busy, but she got to see Larry far more often, to her delight.

The poor gray squirrel was still quite easy for his loved ones to read, and that did not exclude Kara. The honey-and-white ferret had been quite sure that for a year or two after she got back from college that he was trying to build up the courage to pop the question. Sometimes she just wanted to bend over and grab him by the cheeks and say "marry me, you fool!" She knew, though, that he must be planning something extremely corny and romantic for her, and she couldn't wait to see whatever it was.

"Heard you took home another trophy," Kara said in a flirty voice when they got together one evening, both in a Sahara Square motel due to their schedules. "You know what that'll get you tonight..."

"Ooh," Larry grew a big grin. "My racing career is just all sorts of rewarding." The two laughed, but then Larry looked a bit introspective. "You know, it isn't fair, is it Kara? You went to school for six years and you're doing something super important for Zootopia's energy situation and no one even knows your name." Kara blinked. "Whereas I, nearly just out of high school, got a sponsorship with a detergent company, and after a few years I got a bunch of screaming fans and have had the spotlight on me and... y'know. I'm not doing anything important."

Kara came over to him and hugged him. "I don't care about any of that stuff. I only need _one_ fan. And he's got a big... bushy... tail." Kara slowly stroked over his tail.

"You really like that thing, huh?" Larry chuckled.

"Mmhm..." Kara cooed happily.

Zootopia had at least one other inter-species couple rather similar to Larry and Kara. Just like them, one was in the public eye, and one was not. One performed a service for Zootopia's continued health, and one just performed for fans.


	34. Epilogue 8: Snow Puffs

Karen Skippel was happy for her stable job as Lead Technical Officer at precinct one, though she admitted to herself that she could have done less with some of the drama it took to get her there. As the second bunny on the ZPD, she had unavoidably been compared, rather unfavorably, to Judy Hopps. Karen's skill was with computers, and she lacked both the courage and raw physical ability of her counterpart. As an arctic hare with no siblings, the big space in her brain that would have been devoted to learning hundreds of siblings' names and personalities was barren, and eager for some sort of information.

So, Karen got into computers, data analysis, and pattern recognition, and had some hacking skills, as well. Left idle, she might easily have been tempted to use her skills for selfish, criminal gain. However, her father Harold sensed that she might become a misanthrope. He explained to her that in Zootopia, there are so many mammals that want to do things for selfish gain, and it takes a truly special animal to be selfless. Karen thought this was pretty hokey, until she reflected that her father had given up a lot to help raise her correctly following the death of his wife during her childbirth. He also never remarried, showing his devotion was to his daughter and his wife's memory. Karen decided she'd try to use her powers for "good".

Of all the places to end up, the same precinct with Judy Hopps was _not_ what Karen had wanted. Karen was reserved, quiet, blunt, and came from a small family, and basically none of that was true about Judy. Karen resented when Judy wanted to make friends with her just because they were both lapine. But a dangerous case or two later, Karen started letting her guard down and letting Judy into her life, a bit at a time.

Ironically, each time she let her defenses down around Judy, her life started getting better, bit by bit.

Her social skills were lacking and what sort of mammal she might be attracted to was a mystery, even to her. Karen was also traumatized by one dangerous case she was a part of. She suffered nightmares and panic attacks from her near death experience and physical and mental torture. Letting Judy in again also caused Nick Wilde to get involved, a fox whom Karen liked even less than Judy due to his self-assured and cocky nature, but, there they went again and made her life better.

She was introduced to Crystal Lumi, an exuberant female snow leopard who ended up being everything she wanted in a partner. Crystal was vivacious, friendly, playful, cuddly, and she could make winsome purring chirps. Karen found that this was the first time she felt this way about anyone, and quickly let Crystal know that she didn't want to lose her.

For Crystal's part, she had always been attracted to small prey girls. She loved the idea of scooping them up in her arms and giving them protective hugs. Crystal's passion was acting, and she toured in a mildly successful theater troupe before being discovered by chance to star in a movie. The movie was Infection: K9, a loose retelling of the Canine Virus that had swept across Zootopia, and that Karen coincidentally had a part in helping stop.

Crystal's portrayal of the villain was both praised and panned as being bombastic, hammy, and maybe even overacted. However, there was no doubt that she had great control over her emotions and facial expressions, and she was signed on for several other movies, nearly one a year. Because of her acting style, she was typecast into comedies and other frivolous "joke" characters, because none of her directors thought she could act seriously. She even tried some voice acting, but it was always exuberant, loud characters.

Between takes on one set, Crystal got a call from Karen; she knew she wouldn't call unless it was important. Right when they were ready to start the take, Crystal apologized and excused herself. Her director, a Thompson's gazelle, angrily followed her to instruct her that they were filming at this particular hour for a reason.

"Oh, what's the matter, sweetie?" Crystal said worriedly into her phone. "I know, honey, I know. I wish you didn't have to work on something so frightening while I'm away... I'll give you extra hugs and cuddles when I get home, okay? ...Okay, be sure to hug that full-size snow leopard plushie I got for you, okay? Cuddle it to sleep. ...No, it's not stupid! I hugged it to put extra love and care into it just for you, so don't waste it... Hmhm, love you, sweetheart, take care of yourself, and I'll see you soon."

The director raised an eyebrow. He had no idea if Crystal was talking to her mate or her child, but the depth in Crystal's emotion and facial expressions was apparent, even over a voice-only call. He decided to file this in the back of his mind and call upon her the next time he had a romantic comedy to film, and decided to let Crystal try a role as the leading lady. She did quite well.

Karen always did watch Crystal's movies, every single one, some multiple times. Even though she knew Crystal was acting, Karen still covered her eyes with her ears when Crystal had to act romantic and smooch with other mammals in her movies.

Crystal never revealed to anyone that she was in love with an arctic hare. This was a protection for both of them; she knew Karen would not fare well if accosted by paparazzi, and might even fall into a panic. Crystal also was growing uneasy at some steadily growing movements that were speaking out against pred/prey relationships, and Crystal didn't want any reproach to come onto either of them.

There was a citizen of Zootopia even more marginalized than a predator and prey relationship. She had a love for the world, and especially Zootopia, but was starting to have a hard time seeing that love return to her. Though she wore a pleasant expression, her heart often ached at how hateful the world could be.


	35. Epilogue 9: A Zootopian Lizard

Life wasn't easy for Jhi Jhi, who just shortened her full name to Jiji. She was aware that she made her own difficulties. She was a leopard gecko, hatched in the reptilian island nation of Pawaii. Her passion was to become a massage therapist, and she lived through a difficult political time in her country. Larger reptiles were being restricted from travel and were mandated to wear collars that limited their bite strength and how far they could open their snouts, or else face an electric shock.

Such mandates were made by the "Lizard" party, a numerous and loud group of small reptiles that spread a campaign of fear and hatred across Pawaii. Jiji did not agree with their views, as she knew many kind "Snappers", as large reptiles were called. She thought it unfair especially that several snakes she knew had to wear the collars whereas other, smaller snakes were exempt.

Finally though, the Lizard party made a grave error in restricting travel to Zootopia, who at the time was governed by Vince Mousawitz of the new-age party. To send a message, Vince restricted travel to Pawaii and encouraged other areas to follow suit, and surprisingly enough, they did. Pawaii's prosperity largely consisted of tourism and trade, and their economy threatened to buckle under the sanctions. This gave rise to a more moderate political party, the Snappers, and they managed to end the oppression wrought against them.

This suited Jiji just fine, as she loved mammals. She loved the interesting softness and textures and patterns of their fur. In fact, her peers often made fun of her for this, calling her a "mammalphile" and the like. Jiji eventually dreamed of moving to Zootpia, where she knew "anyone could be anything".

That turned out to be more of a slogan, really.

She moved in next-door to Nick and Judy Wilde-Hopps, and became fast friends with the two. The first worry was when she lost her tail after it was stepped on in a crowded street and no one moved to help her, but rather reacted with shock. The only sympathy came from the Wilde-Hopps family. Though her tail grew back, a regrown tail wasn't seen as an attractive feature for a leopard gecko to have.

Rather than be a massage therapist, she found the only job she could get was at a restaurant that wanted to employ genuine Pawaiians, of which there were precious few in Zootopia. Jiji was rather popular there, and work became almost a safe haven for her.

It seemed like ninety percent of Zootopia didn't even know what Jiji was. She was often disparagingly called a "lizard" by mammals, and many had little patience for her mediocre mammalian reading skills or her idiosyncrasies when she was talking in mammalian.

Though leopard geckos were known for their resting face being a smile, Jiji had to admit to the Wilde-Hopps that on occasion she no longer felt like smiling. She loved mammals, and Zootopia, but she was finding the love wasn't returning to her. She felt almost panicked when Nick and Judy eventually had to move out of their Aardvark Rise apartment due to changing life circumstances, but she still had Larry Wilde-Hopps living there, and he was a steadfast friend for her.

Eventually, she got a part time job at a massage parlor that had several different types of "exotic" paw, claw, and hoof massages on offer. It was barely even a job, as Jiji's hands were in so low demand that she actually had to be called in to work. She did love massaging though, and enjoyed her waitress job well enough, so she took her happiness where she could find it.

With a lot of love and hope in her heart, Jiji often dreamed about being in a relationship with a raccoon, red panda, or some sort of other animal with interesting fur patterns. Reality set down hard on her though, when even as she added her information to a bunch of dating services, she was thrown a lot of hateful messages for daring to be a reptile that asked for a mammal mate. She did find an interested raccoon once, but quickly found out that just because a male had an interest in reptiles, didn't mean he was a kind mammal. She quickly abandoned the online dating scene and deleted her profiles, wishing no more hateful messages.

A few years after she had given up on a relationship, she found her smile tended to wane more and more, even on her jobs, though it did kick back up when she could see any of the Wilde-Hopps. She was finally an official citizen of Zootopia, not that any mammal really cared about that. Jiji began to notice a striped polecat named Frederick Vault who began to ask for massages from her and only her. He was somewhat shy and asked a lot of questions about Jiji and Pawaii. She in return didn't get much from him other than that he was a marine biologist.

As it turned out, Frederick, or just "Freddie", found Jiji attractive, especially her reptilian-accented voice. Jiji had to admit Freddie was nice too, especially his black and white striped fur which she inwardly found incredibly appealing. Freddie eventually moved in with Jiji into her apartment. There was no provision for a mammal and reptile to get married, but nevertheless, both were happy. Freddie had to admit though, that when it was time for her to shed her skin, that made him feel quite uncomfortable. She did look much more colorful right after, though.

Freddie took business trips to Pawaii for his research on occasion, and he even more occasionally got to take Jiji with him to go scuba diving in Pawaii's waters. Because of this, Jiji had to make sure that she kept an eye on the political scene of Pawaii, which seemed just as volatile as the one in Zootopia, with it's growing unrest against predator/prey relationships.

After awhile of being in power, the Snappers had started to put on airs and one notorious figure even tried to get "revenge" against the Lizard party by trying to put reproductive limits on smaller reptiles, claiming they were overpopulating Pawaii. This made Jiji uneasy; she found politics repugnant, and wished that people would just live their lives in peace without disturbing others. The Lizard party came back into power when the Snappers' proposals were defeated, and Jiji hoped she wouldn't live to see another distressing political event in Pawaii.

Despite her aversion to politics, Jiji often found herself reading about them anyway, trying to keep appraised of the situations in Pawaii, Zootopia, and even Bunnyburrow. Bunnyburrow was seeing a strong push by the new-age party to get many bunnies "fixed". Jiji always found herself more interested, however, in the more personal stories she could find in the Bunnyburrow family, especially about the Hopps. It turned out that her friend Judy had quite a large family, and she loved learning about them.


	36. Epilogue 10: The Hopps Fluffle

The Hopps family was still a mighty "army". Both Stu and Bonnie Hopps were enjoying their twilight years in relative comfort. Stu had developed a chronic cough and grew tired very easily, but he was still kicking, and still enjoying spending time relaxing with his family. Though Bonnie was stubborn and disliked giving up so much control to the other does of the house, she eventually conceded and took up knitting.

Ivory Hopps overcame her hatred of predators, Nick included. Unable to find work as a model anymore because of the new-age party, and disagreeing with the tenants of the traditionalist party, Ivory decided to stay out of political debates and just keep her head down and be a family doe. As the only albino in the Hopps family, she was a distinctive and rather stern figure to the little kits of the Hopps compound.

Jenny Hopps was still living in Zootopia, a part of the Zootopia Fire Department. She saved the eventual love of her life from a burning building, a slightly chubby tuxedo-colored bunny male who quite literally fell for her and into the trampoline she and a few other fire fighters were carrying.

Jayce Hopps owned the Hopps farm, officially. He spent his time dealing with all the logistics of the slowly expanding empire, and had little time for romance. Despite this, he was still a pleasant buck to be around, and had a very dry wit. Nick Wilde-Hopps often called him an "honorary fox".

Galaxy Hopps was in college at the time. The incident more than ten years ago at the farm involving Larry had concerned her greatly. She was upset at the implications of group psychology on bunnies, and decided to go into psychology herself. She was studying to be a therapist. Galaxy often gave free "practice sessions" to Larry Wilde-Hopps over Muzzletime when he needed them, as he had his stresses, and Galaxy was one of his bigger fans and closer friends.

Nebula Hopps was still rather enigmatic. His strange, loquacious way of speaking made him few friends, but he developed a very precise way of doing things. He ended up going to school to become an architect. Though, oddly, he also tried his paw at stand-up comedy, where his extremely dull voice mixed with his abstract way of pointing out obvious things with large words actually was a minor sensation among bunnies. Little did any of them know that Nebula's "act" was barely an act, it was just how he was.

Nova Hopps had some soul-searching to do. When he led a group of bunnies in a dangerous prank against Larry, he knew it was wrong, but he had to admit he loved the power of being a leader. Was he just an "evil bunny"? He decided he should become a politician, and took classes in school to build up his skills for this. Nova was already making plans for when, not if, he would become mayor of Bunnyburrow. He didn't actually have strong political views, but he figured as the name "Nova" could mean new, he might as well join the new-age party. Though his scruples were low, he was very charismatic, and for better or worse, the future of Bunnyburrow might eventually be in his paws.

Lily Hopps had an affinity for her camera, and taking pictures. She wanted to travel the world and become the photographer for a famous magazine, but currently she was "stuck" with a local gardening magazine, so she ended up taking a lot of pictures of flowers. Her workmates, of course, teased her relentlessly about her name in regards to this.

Rose Hopps, similarly, became an actual gardener, or more accurately, a landscaper. She was known as one of the sweetest Hopps there were, but when it came to her job she was extremely serious. Her assistants knew to never question her final decisions, and thought the sweet, airy voice she put on when her family called was just, well, a "rose hiding thorns".

Aster Hopps, instead, became an astronomer. He was always into rather geeky and nerdy stuff, and was good with math. His brothers and sisters often teased him about his career choice, but he didn't mind. He did not, however, suffer any jokes about the seventh planet of the solar system. Those were met with a swift kick in the tail.

Clarissa Hopps, though still young, dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. She actually was still hung up on small, tiny dresses and outfits, as she thought they were adorable. She hoped to one day become a star in the world of rodent and mustelid fashion.

Peaches and Cream Hopps were still among the most terrifying sheriffs in Bunnyburrow. But at home, Peter and Carol Hopps were always laughing and joking around with each other and their siblings. The Hopps knew their tough-bun personas were just an act, but no one else did; they didn't let a shred of their levity reach the Sheriff's Department.

Of course, no discussion of the Hopps would be complete without Judy Wilde-Hopps, and her husband Nick Wilde-Hopps. Their lives had been changing rapidly, and both of them hoped it would eventually be for the better.


	37. Epilogue 11: The Bunny and Fox

The years after Larry Wilde-Hopps' graduation had come fast and hard for Nick and Judy Wilde-Hopps. Once Chief Bogo stepped down as the head of precinct one, the new Chief, a hippo named Hugh Mongus, cultivated an almost eerie interest in Judy's career path. She found herself promoted very quickly over the next couple of years and before she knew it, she became a Chief of a precinct in the Rainforest District.

Just like that, Nick and Judy were no longer professional partners.

Even though the mammals at her Rainforest District precinct were on average smaller than the ones at precinct one, Judy still felt like she'd have a bit of a hard time engendering respect as Chief. She adopted a tough persona and quickly got a reputation as being pretty terrifying, for a bunny. Some of the rookies even called her "Chief Hardbuns", which she often overheard with her ears, and had to fight not to smile when she did. It didn't take too long before she had the respect of her officers at her precinct. She was always sure to praise outstanding behavior and to try to never underestimate any mammal based on their appearance or personality. Judy made some risky calls and decisions at times, but more often than not, they tended to bear fruit.

Back at precinct one, Nick's new partner was a kit fox; a vulpes macrotis. He wasn't a "kit", though he was quite a newbie compared to Nick. Though Nick was glad enough to see a fellow fox on the force, he just didn't mesh well with him. Also, Nick had become increasingly agitated by the tensions that were steadily rising between predator and prey. Vince Mousawitz, a member of the new-age mammal party, had stepped down as mayor and was replaced by a pig, Pearline Swinton, who was decidedly traditionalist. She was campaigning hard to put a stop to inter-species marriage, and with Leodore Lionheart no longer in the legislative branch of City Hall, it looked like she would eventually get her way. His hand forced, Larry Wilde-Hopps, a squirrel, married his girlfriend, Kara, a ferret, before it was too late. Their wedding was nice enough, but Judy couldn't help but wonder if it would have been nicer if it weren't rushed.

There were protests and rallies, but Nick had decided he had enough of just watching from inside the ZPD. He turned in his badge.

Nick became a pro-pred/prey activist, using his charisma and his way with words in what he hoped would improve Zootopia and cultivate understanding. He felt that Zootopia that had given him so much, and was in danger of falling back into fear again, the same fear it had decades ago. Of course, his suddenly outspoken position instantly made him all sorts of enemies, from the petty to the powerful. But, Zootopia had given Nick a small army of friends over the years, as well. With his mother in a hospice and her time left uncertain, Nick decided he had only one course of action to better Zootopia and to defeat Swinton. He would have to run for mayor in the upcoming election.

From the ZPD, Nick could count on large numbers of security support at his speeches. Chief Wilde-Hopps was always sure to nearly over-deploy, not wanting to take any chances with her husband.

From the ZIA, several crooked cops and other rogues from assorted government departments seeking Nick's downfall were taken care of. Nick rarely ever saw her, but he knew his fruit bat friend, Viridia Sonaire, was looking out for him. He recognized her psuedo-sonar clicking from the darkness even he could barely see into.

From the ZBI, another agent who seemed to have a mysterious, vested interest in Nick's success had taken down a few extremist operations that targeted Nick. Of course, it was a bunny, a white bunny with almost tiger-like black stripes and cyan eyes, and his name was Jack Savage.

From the shadows, the Big family also had his back, though they tried not to help in any way that could be directly tied to him. Little Miss Big still felt a debt to the husband of her godmother, and protected Nick in any way she thought she could get away with.

Nick took off his coat, hat, and tie as he got into his home, which used to be his mother's old Rainforest District house. He smiled as he saw Judy cheering at the television over one of Larry's races.

"Ooh, second, so close!" Judy laughed, then looked at Nick. "You look tired. Long day on the campaign trail?"

"Mhm," Nick said, going over and kissing Judy softly.

"Nick, do you resent me for staying with the ZPD?" Judy tilted her head.

"No way, that's your dream, Judy," Nick shook his head, "and _someone_ has to keep the ZPD pure while I'm trying to oust that vile swine."

"You're calling _me_ a pure cop?" Judy smirked, then shrugged flippantly. "Okay, fair enough." But then, her expression fell. "Nick, every day you put up with several times the hatred and animosity than you ever did when we were both beat cops. How do you keep going?"

"You're going to call me a cheese ball if I tell you," Nick smirked.

"Aw, c'mon, cheese ball!" Judy grinned widely.

"Okay, if you're going to be like that," Nick flicked one of her ears. "I'm doing it out of love. Love for you, the bunny who's been my constant companion and pulled me out of the blackness of despair. Love for my son, who shouldn't be afraid to show that he loves his wife in public. Love for Zootopia, the city who's given me everything I have, though we did have to ask it really nicely. And... love for my mother, who always believed in me and was proud of me, no matter what. Who knows how much time she has left? I gotta keep going."

"Aw, Nick, that _is_ really sweet," Judy smiled, and then her eyes half-lid. "But you know, there's never been a fox mayor in Zootopia. Ever."

"Guess I'll just have to be the first, then," Nick grinned smugly, retrieving an acoustic guitar from the closet.

"Ooh, are you going to croon at me, you handsome fox?" Judy turned around in the couch and stood up, folding her arms across the back of the couch. Nick came around and sat next to her, and she sat down too.

"Thought I could just try singing a song I know from growing up," Nick said, tuning the guitar.

"Is it one of Gazelle's?" Judy asked hopefully.

"Before her, actually, one of the very first celebrity pred/prey activists," Nick reminisced. "He was a bit of a goofball, a dingo that called himself Powerline. You may have heard me singing this in the shower a few times." Nick started to strum the introduction.

"Oh yeah!" Judy snapped her fingers. "You hum and sing this so often in the shower that I think even I know the words by now."

"Why don't we sing it together, then?" Nick chuckled. "I'll go first."

Nick began singing:  
 _"Got myself a notion,_  
 _one I know that you'll understand,_  
 _to set the world in motion,_  
 _by reaching out for each others hand."_

Judy smiled, continuing:  
 _"Maybe we'll discover_  
 _what we should've known all along,_  
 _one way or another,_  
 _together's where we both belong."_

They joined their voices together for the chorus:  
 _"If we listen to each others heart,_  
 _we'll find we're never too far apart,_  
 _and maybe love is the reason why,_  
 _for the first time ever we're seeing it eye to eye."_

"Oh, I _have_ to sing the next part!" Judy quickly insisted, and Nick just smirked as she sang:  
 _"If a wall should come between us,_  
 _too high to climb, too hard to break through,_  
 _I know that love will lead us,_  
 _and find a way to bring me to you."_

Nick followed up:  
 _"So don't be in a hurry,_  
 _think before you count us out,_  
 _You don't have to worry,_  
 _I won't ever let you down."_

The two tried to start the chorus up again, but they began laughing as if they were kits again, even though their eyes were misting up a bit. Nick set the guitar aside, and Judy climbed into his lap, facing him.

"If you're ever lonely," Judy said gently in a pleasant, though non-singing voice, "Stop. You don't need to be. Because Nick, you'll _never_ need to be lonely. I'll always be your partner."

Judy gave her fox a soft, lingering kiss. Nick returned it, wrapping his arms around his bunny.

The bunny was also correct. She and the fox were, indeed, always partners.


End file.
